


Not Desperate

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Daddy Kink, F/M, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Light BDSM, Original Character Death(s), Sex Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-05
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-24 04:27:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 33
Words: 81,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2568185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was lonely, not desperate. He was shy and nervous. Can they get over their issues and realize that they are not what they think they are? That they need each other? Yvonne has as big a road to travel as Daryl does.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet and Greet

I hear the door bang open and closed as I light my second cigarette. I don't really care who has come out and pay no attention to it. Until I hear shuffling feet and look up to see a man standing in front of me with an unlit cigarette dangling between his fingers. "Got a light?" he asked. His voice is shaky and I can't tell if it is because he's drunk or nervous. I stand from my spot on the curb in front of the bar I had been drug to a few hours before. "Sure" I said looking him in the eye, or at least trying too. His shaggy hair was hanging in his face obscuring his eyes. He quietly shuffles on his feet and looks down at where I had been setting.  
"You can sit, if you like. I'm not going back in for a while. You're welcome to join me" I say. He stares at me as I get as comfortable as I can on the concrete. He eyes me like I'm crazy, like I have a death wish and am hoping he's a serial killer. But after a minute of contemplation, he sits. I can finally see his face. Ragged and slightly dirty, like he had been working outside all day. Maybe he is a construction worker. If that’s the case, I bet he has a nice body too. Damn my brain needs to sleep. His hair is dark and still covers his eyes. We took drags off our cigarettes at the same time. He is still quiet, but now it seems like it is out of nervousness, not being drunk. He had been steady on his feet and I couldn't detect a slur in his words, the few he had offered me. Now I'm nervous. Should I speak, or just let him be? He's staring straight ahead, as if he is trying to ignore me.  
I don't want to torture him with my presence any longer, so I stand and crush my cigarette under my boot. I pass in front of him to go back to the bar and he mumbles lowly, "Ya don't have to leave if ya don't want. I didn't want to disturb ya. I ain't gonna do nothing. Didn't mean to scare ya or make ya nervous." I looked down at him and he was biting his thumbnail trying not to look at me. "You didn't scare me or make me feel nervous. I just thought that maybe you wanted to be alone. Didn't want to bore you with small talk." I sat down next to him and lit another cigarette  
"I'm not good at talking," he said, "but I'm a good listener if ya wanna. I don't mind. I'd rather hear you talk than my damn brother and his friends", he smirked. I smiled and looked at me as he finally brushed the hair out of his eyes. They were the most amazing shade of blue I have ever seen. Blue, like colored contact lens blue, hypnotic almost.  
"Well, I was just gonna ask your name and if you were here voluntarily or had been drug here like I was". He shuffled in his seat a little and lit another cigarette. "My brother thinks it's a good idea for me to get drunk and laid, but I ain't in the mood for either." Until now, he thinks. "My name's Daryl. What's yours?"  
"I'm Yvonne. It's nice to meet you Daryl. I think my friends may know your brother. I'm here because of the same." I giggled and immediately regretted it. I never giggle, especially around men. That's what little girls do, not grown ass women. And he looked at me as if I were not one, a grown ass woman that is. Thankfully, he ignored my childish outburst.  
"Maybe so. Maybe we've been set up. I know if I go back in there and ain't drinking or hittin' on some poor girl, I'll never hear the end of it."  
"Same here, ’cept I'm supposed to hit on a guy. Maybe if I hit on one of my friends, they'll back off." He laughed. An actual open your mouth and show teeth laugh. "My brother would want to see that, then hit on you and your friends thinking he was on his way to the best orgy of his life".  
"My friends like to think they're picky about their men, but honestly, they don't have the best taste in men. Maybe your brother would have a chance with them". He didn't respond to that and we were surrounded by silence again. Daryl seemed like a decent guy. Obviously not looking for a quick, drunk fuck. Or at least that's what he wants me to think. "All I really want to do is get some food and go home, but they're my ride. We all came together in one car, so I'm kinda at their mercy. When they've had enough, I get to go home".  
"I don't want to be here anymore than you do. Maybe I could take ya home? We can stop and get food on the way. I'm hungry too, but only if ya want. Don't want to creep ya out or anything. I won't try nothing, I promise".  
"Okay. That sounds good. I don't think you're creepy and you already told me you're not looking to get laid, so I think I can trust you". He gave me a look of surprise and let out a breath I think he had been holding since he stopped talking. He shook it off and started walking away. I quickly followed him to a red and white Ford pickup. "Should you tell your brother that you're leaving? Won't he be worried?"  
"Nah. He's probably too shitfaced by now to know I'm not in there. Probably trying to pick up his fuck for the night. How about your friends?"  
"They'll text me if they want to know where I am. Besides, really don't want to see their faces when I tell them I'm getting a ride home with some guy I just met. They'll be asking too many questions that I don't have answers for. I'll talk to them tomorrow."  
"Okay", he said. Then he unlocked and opened the passenger side door for me. After he climbed in, he asked me where I wanted to go. I didn't know what was around and he suggested a diner on highway 96. The ride was quiet with neither of us speaking. I kept thinking about his eyes and his glorious smile. I feel like a stupid little girl all googly eyed over the cute football player. This man was no athlete. I mean, he very well could be. He had a nice body. Covered by torn and dirty jeans, a sleeveless t-shirt under a sleeveless blue and black flannel. I bet those arms could throw one three miles. I started to wonder what those would feel like wrapped around me. I really need to get a grip. I know it's been four years since I was with someone, and I am kinda lonely sometimes, but I am not desperate enough to jump a total stranger. I hope.


	2. Chapter Two  Diner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The possibly awkward adventures of Daryl Dixon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there anybody out there? Is this thing on? Doesn't matter, gonna keep this up regardless. My brain is already ten chapters ahead of my fingers anyway. Hope you enjoy! Please subscribe, comment and kudos are a special kind of love. And I don't own shit, except for Yvonne and her family and friends.

Chapter Two "Dinner Date"

We arrived at the diner fifteen minutes later. I hadn't noticed the truck come to a stop until I heard him open the door and jump out. I turned to open my side door, but before I could, the door swung open and he stood on the other side holding his hand out to me helping me out of the truck. Wow! He's a right Southern gentleman, I suppose. Next stop, pulling out my chair. He opened the diner door for me and I followed him to a booth in the back. Seeing him in the harsh light for the first time, I noticed his eyes again. They held nervousness and perhaps insecurity. I took my eyes off his and looked at his face. He looked world weary, tired, and maybe a little scared. I was about to say something when our waitress arrived at the table.   
"Hey Daryl! Haven't seen ya in here in a while. How've ya been?" She said and flashed a toothy grin.  
"Been fine Carol. Just ain't felt like going our lately. Been real busy at work. Merle dragged me to the bar tonight, but I escaped". He said and smiled back at her.  
"Did you take a hostage on your way out?" Carol said, laughing lightly and looking over at me. Now his face went red and he dipped his eyes to the table.  
"This is Yvonne. Met her at the bar. Yvonne, this is Carol".  
"It's nice to meet you. He was kind enough to offer me a ride home. My friends weren't quite finished with their night and it seems neither of us wanted to be there".  
"Well, Daryl's a sweet one, that's for sure. Too bad his brother can't be more like him. You guys ready to order"?  
"I'll just have a cheeseburger, fries and a coke please".  
"I'll have the same," Daryl said.  
"Be back with your drinks in a minute" Carol said and walked away.  
"Well, I'm beginning to think your brother is an ass. No offense".  
"He is. Biggest asshole I ever met, but he's a tough sonuvah bitch. Practically raised me by himself, when he wasn't in juvie" Daryl said, finally lifting his eyes from the table.  
"Maybe I should call my friends and warn them?" I chuckled nervously hoping not to sound too freaked out.  
He looked at me seriously, as if he had been hurt by what I said. "He wouldn't hurt 'em. Never hurt a woman ever. Neither of us would. It's not right. He might annoy them, could creep 'em the fuck out, but he's no rapist. They're safe". We smiled at each other as Carol sat our drinks on the table. When I took a drink, I saw her pat him on the shoulder and give him a wink.  
"So," I said after a few moments. "You've known Carol for a long time I'm guessing. I just noticed you two seem to get along well". Not jealous. Not jealous. Please don't be an ex-girlfriend.   
"Yea, she dated Merle for a while. Didn't last long. Don't know why". He said sarcastically. "She's great. I help her out with house stuff, like repairs an stuff. She cooks dinner for me sometimes. I teach her daughter, Sophia, how to track, use a compass, and shit like that. I'm taking 'em camping in a couple weeks. Soph's been on my ass about taking her out for a while now".  
"That's cool!" I said. "I've never been camping before. My parents were never into it and I guess I just lost interest after I got older. I'd love to go sometime. I imagine it's probably the most calming experience in the world. Being with nature, the fresh air. My grandfather was a hunter. Deer, quail and rabbit mostly. Every year he would tell me that he would take me with him next year. Never happened".  
"Well, I hunt same as your grandfather, I guess. But I get me some squirrels too". I squished up my face at that. "They're not bad if ya season 'em right. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the woods. It's a good place to think, when ya want to be alone. You're right. It's the most peaceful place on earth".   
Just then, Carol brought our food to the table. She dropped mustard and ketchup bottles on there too and asked if we needed anything. We both said, "no" and "thank you" and started eating. We ate in silence mostly except for the occasional "mmmmmmmmm good". It was one of the best cheeseburgers I'd ever had. And they served the crinkle fries that I love so much. Every now and then, I would look up from my plate to see Daryl chomping down on his burger or stuffing fries in his mouth. He ate like he hadn't had anything in weeks. It was cute, funny, but I didn't dare smile. Didn’t want to offend him with a cuteness accusation. Too soon we were both done, plates clean. Daryl asked if I liked it and I said yes. He followed up with, "Would you like a milkshake? If ya liked the burger, the shakes are incredible".  
"Well sure, but I don't think I could finish one. I'm kinda full".  
"I'll share with ya. Ya like chocolate"?  
"I'm a woman ain't I"? I said as I smiled and winked at him. I heard him say something under his breath. I wasn't sure but it sounded like, "you sure are". When I looked at him, he blushed slightly. He held his hand up for Carol as she walked out of the kitchen.  
"Ya'll done or are ya getting dessert"? She said as she makes her way to the table.   
"Yup. Gonna get a chocolate milkshake".  
"Just one or one for each of you"?  
"Just one please" I said. "We're gonna share. After that meal, I couldn't finish one by myself".  
"Alright. One shake, two straws. Coming up".  
As she walked away, the table grows quiet. His thumbnail ended up back in his mouth and he gazed at me. I didn't know this look. I had never seen this on a man's face before. His hair was in his eyes, but this time, the blue shone through the dangling strands. I smiled at him shyly and rested my chin on my palm. "Sooo, what do you do? For work, I mean"?  
"I work construction, but do car repair work part time. Got a buddy owns a garage in town and I do some stuff for him when I ain't on a job site".  
"That's cool. It's important for a woman to know a good, reliable, honest mechanic. I guess if anything ever happens to my car, I'll call you up".  
When Carol brings the shake to the table, she doesn't stay long. Just drops the straws on the table and leaves us alone. I can't believe I'm here, in a diner at one o'clock in the morning with a man I've only known for about two hours. An extremely sexy, handsome man at that. I don't want this night to end.


	3. What the Hell  part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Daryl's pov on the first two chapters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the reads and all the kudos. Here is another chapter for all you lovely people. Hope you enjoy. Comments are encouraged.

Chapter Three  
“What the hell” part one

Damn, this has been one weird night. Expected a night like most of mine nowadays. Stumblin’ drunk with a fumblin’ fuck or just drunk with no fuck. Don’t fuck sober. Can’t be around women like that if I’m not. Helps if they’re drunk too. Less they care about things the better I feel about it. Not that I feel good about any of it. Anyway, I figured I’d have a couple beers and make Merle happy. He’d be so gone by then he wouldn’t care about what I did, or didn’t, do. But it hadn’t worked out that way. Yeah, he was drunk when I got there, but he was in asshole mode, so he busted my balls ‘cause he could. There was a table of women Merle and his friends were ogling. They were nice looking, way too classy for the likes of this bar. Guess they were slumming it tonight. Merle’s friend Len wouldn’t shut up about the blonde one. She had a fine set of tits, he said. Wanted to bury his face in ‘em, maybe his dick too if she’d let him. Didn’t matter if she did or didn’t. Douche bag. Can’t stand to hear that shit. Didn’t want to be there, didn’t want to risk being guilty by association.  
So I just sat there, at the bar, downing beer after beer. Well, it seemed that way. I’d been nursing the same one for about an hour. So tired of the music, the noise and Merle’s mouth, I grabbed my smokes and head outside, after I make sure my brother doesn’t notice. I’m making my escape. I push through the front door as fast as I can and apparently harder than I thought, because it banged so loud I winced. I just stood there for a moment hoping Merle didn’t hear it. ‘Bout a minute later, I relaxed and reached into my pocket for my lighter. Not that one, not that one either. Damn! Must’ve left it on the bar. I ain’t going back for it. Hope someone else is out here I can bum one off of. Looking around, I see a figure sitting on the curb by the road. Shit, I ain’t good at approaching people. Got problems with people I know much less new ones. Just borrow the lighter dumbass and walk away. So I stomp over as loudly as I can. As I get closer, the figure looks familiar. Oh shit, it’s the blonde with the tits that fucker Len’s been leering at. At least he didn’t follow her outside. Wonder how long she’s been out here? I stand slightly behind her on the left, shuffling back and forth on my feet; my nerves are getting the best of me. “Got a light?”  
When she looks up at me, I notice her eyes first and then her lips. Her eyes are dark. I can’t tell for sure, but they’re probably brown. And her full lips have a cigarette between them. She says something, but I can’t hear her. All I hear is the blood pumping in my heart. All of a sudden, she shoves her zippo in my face and lights my smoke. Then, as she sits back down, my eyes can’t help but follow her. She asks me to stay, to sit with her. I would have even if she hadn’t asked. If douche bag decides to come outside, at least I’ll be here to stop him from doing anything. This girl must be crazy, she don’t know who I am. I could be a damn serial killer. She’s either very trusting or has a death wish. I slowly lower myself down beside her. We didn’t speak, just smoked our cigarettes. I tried not to look at her. Afraid she’d catch me staring. She was a genuinely beautiful woman. Don’t see much like her around here. All of a sudden, she stood up and stomps on her cigarette. She moves in front of me to leave and I blurt out, before my brain can catch up with my mouth, that she didn’t have to go. Maybe I scared her. Wouldn’t doubt it if I had. Decent woman would be scared of me. But she wasn’t scared of me in the least. She didn’t want to annoy me with her yappy woman mouth. I wouldn’t mind hearing her voice though. Better than hearing Merle spew shit outta his. I told her as much and she sat back down. She had a sexy voice and a beautiful name. Sound French maybe, but who cares? Turns out, we were in the same boat.   
So I did something I’ve never done before. I offered to buy her food and take her home. Never done that before ‘cause I never met a woman I wanted to do that for, or with. I was scared as shit, but I also felt more confident than I ever had in my life. She was incredible. She didn’t run away screaming from me or make fun of me for being dumb and dirty. She wanted to talk to me. I wanted to be able to talk to her too. And she didn’t even hesitate when she said yes. So she followed me to the truck and I opened the door for her. I took us to the diner on 96. She was real quiet on the ride over. Is she regretting this? God, I’ve done something stupid I bet and don’t even know what it is. When we pulled into the parking lot, I got out and went over to open her door. Neither of us said anything as she got out and we walked into the diner. Even though we were the only ones there, I took her to a booth in the back. In the bright light of the diner, I could see just how beautiful she is. Long blonde hair, dark chocolate eyes and soft, full lips. Well, they sure looked soft. I wanna find out. I didn’t notice Carol come to the table and was shaken from my thoughts when she spoke. Haven’t seen her in a while, but I’m sure she understands. Hell, she dated Merle, she knows what I deal with every day. I introduced her to Yvonne and blushed after her joke. I was so pre occupied with my embarrassment that I didn’t hear her order, so I just got what she did.  
When she called my brother an ass, I almost laughed, but didn’t know if she was being serious or not. Merle’s a lot of things; asshole, douche bag, dick, etc. He raised me though, best he could considering he spent most of his time in high or in juvie. But he’d never hurt a woman. Told Yvonne that too. Neither of us would. Saw enough of that growing up. I was starting to feel more comfortable around her. She seemed down to earth, not snobby or stuck-up like most women. I’d almost think she belonged there, sitting across from me. I just wanted to keep her talking. How many men have said something like that? It wasn’t just that sexy voice though, it was what she was saying. Taking about camping and hunting, the things that make my like seem bearable. If it weren’t for those things, I’d a never survived. Maybe she’d go camping with me sometime. Wait one damn minute! I just met her, know practically nothing about her, don’t even know if she would want to see my ugly ass again, and I’m planning weekend trips. Fuck! I think I’m having a stroke.   
Finally, Carol brought the food. Cheeseburger and fries. I lucked out. I had worried that she had ordered a salad or something. No sooner did the plates hit the table, she tore in. Making those damn “mmmmmm” noises. That woman’s gonna kill me with that shit. The food here was good though. Ate lunch here during the week mostly ‘cause it’s close to the latest job site. We didn’t say a word to each other. Every now and then, I’d look up at her, but she was either scarfing down her burger or stuffing fries in her mouth. When we were done, she said she liked it. I was craving a chocolate shake. This diner’s been here since the 1950’s and heir shakes still taste the same, or so I’ve heard. I offered to split one with her and her face just lit up. When I asked her if she like chocolate-stupid question I know- she brought it to my attention that she was a woman, wasn’t she? Hell, she damn sure is. Best looking one I’ve seen in my life. So we ordered with Carol and waited. We made small talk again. Told her what I did. Didn’t expect her to sound half excited about it.


	4. What the Hell  part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter. I am on a roll with this one and am already about three chapters ahead. I hope to post new chapters twice a week depending on my days off.

Chapter Four  
“What the Hell” part two

Felt like I was in a damn romantic movie when the shake got to the table. Carol sat it down with two straws and just walked off. So, there we were staring at each other over a chocolate milkshake. Felt like that guy from the old 1950’s beach movies my ma watched when I was real little. “So, where do ya live? Don’t gotta go across town, do I?”   
“Well, I live about thirty minutes away, but I’m staying with one of my friends from the bar. This was supposed to be a girls night out for us followed by a sleepover, but I’m not sure that’s gonna work out according to plan.”  
“As long as you know how to get to her place, I can get ya there. Let me just get the check from Carol and we can get outta here.”  
“No way Daryl, I’m paying. I was the one who wanted food. You just brought me to it. Please? As a thank you for being a decent guy and offering me a ride?”   
Aw hell no! She’s not taking this away from me, even if I have to embarrass myself. “Listen, I’ve never really been on a date before, so just let me do this. Never got to pay for a lady’s dinner. You can pay next time.” And I didn’t hesitate, stood right up and booked it to the counter where Carol was pouring coffee for some poor schlub that musta come in while I wasn’t paying attention. I glanced back at the booth as I walked and saw Yvonne’s pretty face full of smile. I’m gonna make sure I see that smile every day, in person. I know I’ll be seeing it in my sleep.   
“She must have bought ‘How to Relate to Daryl Dixon for Dummies’. She’s doing a good job I take it? Carol said, grinning.  
“Stop it,” I said. “She needed some help and I didn’t want to give Merle’s boys a chance to do it. One of ‘em had been eyeing her.”  
“Yeah, sure Daryl. But putting yourself in close proximity to a woman with all her body parts covered and walking a straight line is uncommon for any Dixon. No offence sweetheart.”  
“Damn ya bitch,” I said and laughed. “Ya know I ain’t like that. But then again, you dated Merle’s ass. What’s that say about you?” She rolled her eyes and handed me my change. “Don’t screw this up Daryl. Be good to her and she’ll be good to you,” Carol said and walked back into the kitchen. As I got back to the both, Yvonne was grabbing her jacket and purse. She took one last sip of the shake and stood up. I didn’t notice how close I was to the table until I realized she was just inches from me.  
“I’m ready to go,” she said in a whisper. Not wanting to dwell on the fact that she was close enough to kiss, I took her hand and led her out of the diner and back to my truck. The ride was silent again, except for her giving me directions. As we approached the house, I noticed the neighborhood. Typical suburban street, not like the one where I lived. The house she told me to pull in at was pretty, you could tell a woman lived there. It had flower beds and wind chimes. I stopped the truck in the driveway, but she didn’t make a move to get out. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to face me.  
“This was a much better night than I was expecting. Thank you for everything. For rescuing me, buying me dinner and driving me back here. Maybe I can pay you back? Do something nice for you,” she said.   
“Well,” I started. I was getting nervous again. Don’t know what to say, or rather, how to say it. “You don’t have to do that. But maybe I could see you again? In the daylight, not in a bar.”  
“I’d love that! Maybe lunch this week, or next. I don’t know what your schedule is, but we could work something out. I’d really like to see you again Daryl.”  
“I really had a good night too. Much better than my usual.” I could feel myself blushing, trying not to make a fool out of myself. Then my mind went on autopilot. I put my hand on her face and leaned in toward her. I just stared at those beautiful lips. I didn’t even realize that I had touched mine to hers until I felt hers move against mine. It didn’t last long, but I felt breathless when she pulled away from me.  
“I should go inside. They’re probably not even awake, but I don’t want them to worry.”  
“Okay,” I said. She asked me for my phone and when I gave it to her, she put her number in. “Call me when you can,” she said.  
I watched her get out of the truck and walk to the door until she disappeared through it. What the hell has happened to me? There is no way this woman could make me feel like this, but she had. I just stared at my phone to reassure myself that this wasn’t a dream. Sure enough, her name and number were glowing back at me. I smiled and started to back out of the driveway. When I got back to the trailer I shared with Merle, I didn’t see his bike there. Fine with me, I’m definitely not in the mood for his stupid ass right now. I went to my room, shut the door and peeled off my clothes. I laid there with my phone in my hand. I decided to do something very bold. I sent her a text.   
Goodnight Yvonne. Have sweet dreams. D  
I put the phone on the nightstand and watched it till the light went off. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard it vibrate. I had a message from Yvonne.  
Goodnight Daryl. I will. You too. Y  
I’m gonna explode before I get to see her again.


	5. Chapter 5 Patience is not my virtue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne's issues start to peek through. She is in denial, and Daryl is horny. . . and frustrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another one for ya'll. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all the kudos! They make my heart happy. Comments are welcome and encouraged.

Chapter Five  
“Patience is not my virtue”

Yvonne’s issues start to peek out, and Daryl is horny. . . and frustrated

I had hoped that everyone would be asleep when I got inside, but not my luck. Kay, whose house we were staying at, almost jumped me as soon as I walked in.  
“Where the hell have you been” We thought you’d ditched us or got kidnapped or something.”  
“Neither really. But I guess you could say I was rescued.”  
“By who?”  
“His name is Daryl and he’s not like anyone I’ve ever met at a bar. EVER! He was there with his brother and some friends. Assholes apparently.”  
“God I hope it wasn’t the military dick with the fake hand. He creeped the fuck out of me. He had all his “boys” there trying to act all charming, but he was just drunk. Probably jerking it with his fake hand right now.”  
“Good Lord! A fake hand? Why did ya’ll stick around there then?”  
“Apparently to give you time to meet Darren.”  
“Daryl!”  
Then Abagail and Sara come into the kitchen. Great, now I have to go through this again.  
“Whatever,” Kay said. “How did you meet him anyway? I didn’t see you talking to anybody.”  
“It was when I went outside for some air. He asked me for a light and just stuck around. He’s real cute, and sexy too. Long, dark hair and perfect blue eyes. He even opened doors for me. I was overwhelmed.” I said, fanning myself like a Southern belle.  
“Did you get laid at least?” Abagail asked.  
“No,” I said. “I wasn’t looking for that and ya’ll know it. He wasn’t looking for it either. His brother was doing the same thing to him. Trying to get him laid and apparently, he’s not into bar whores.”  
“Did he kiss you? Did anything else happen? Are you gonna see him again? Can you trust him?” Sara rambled on without taking a breath.  
“Yes, he kissed me. No, nothing else happened. Yes, I’m gonna see him again. He’s supposed to call me sometime this week. And yes, I think I can trust him. He wasn’t looking to get laid. He told me that. He was pissed off at his brother because he won’t rest till Daryl gets some. He seemed shy and nervous and maybe a little insecure. He stammered around a little and he has all these nervous tics. I don’t believe anything will happen, but it’s not like I’m gonna fall in love with this guy. He’s cute and he was very nice to me, but that doesn’t mean anything. He’s not gonna call me. I’m not going to believe that this guy is any different from the others. I’m not stupid enough to believe that he’s special, that he won’t do the things that everyone else has done. As long as I remember that, I think I’ll be fine. If I don’t let myself get fooled into believing his words, I won’t be hurt.”  
I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I have no idea what had gotten into me. I had just taken a nearly perfect night and turned it into a future loss. I know I’ll never hear from him, but at least I have a good memory and the best kiss I’ve had in years. I walked into the bedroom I would be sharing with Kay. I took off my clothes and put on my Scooby Doo sleep shorts and a tank. Hopefully, I’ll be asleep by the time everyone else goes to bed. Then my phone vibrates on the nightstand. A message from Daryl. Carol was right; he does seem like a sweet one.  
*******************************************************

The next morning when Daryl woke up, the sun was right in his eyes. Forgot to close the damn blinds when he left yesterday. Instead of getting up to close them, he just turned over onto his stomach and buried his head in the pillow. He just wanted sleep and darkness. Then he remembered last night, and his dream. He did see that smile again just like he knew he would. They were sitting in the bed of his truck, legs dangling off the tailgate. He had taken her somewhere in the woods. The birds were chirping and he could hear the little creek that flowed nearby. Her hair blew in the wind and he watched as it would cover her face. He reached over and brushed it behind her ear. As she turned to face him, her eyes smiled at him. “You are so beautiful baby,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her. He move his hand to the back of her head, curling his fingers in her hair. As they kissed, she moved her hands to his chest, moving them up and down his torso. He woke then, when he felt the sun on his face. He wants to see her again, talk to her. He wants to know who she is. He laid in bed for a few more minutes before getting up to shower.  
He grabbed a shirt, his pants from last night and a pair of boxers and headed out the door into hallway. He briefly stepped into the living room to see the state of it. Merle was passed out on the floor with some red head tangled up with him. Damn! He must’ve been dead to the world if the sound of Merle fuckin’ couldn’t wake him up. He jumped into the shower and just stood there letting the water cascade down his body. With his eyes closed, he imagined Yvonne in the diner last night. The sound of her voice still echoing through his mind. Then he thought of his dream again. Daryl placed his left hand on the wall and used his right to grip his dick. Stroking himself, he imagines her talking to him. She’s laying there underneath him naked on the bed of the truck, her breathing shallow. He leans forward and grazes her neck with his lips. “I want you Daryl. Touch me Daryl. I want to taste you Daryl.” He feels the heat coil in his belly and just as he shoots onto the wall, the bathroom door bursts open.  
“Damn baby brother! Don’t use all the hot water. I got me good lovin’ last night. Gotta get the smell of that bitch off me.”  
“Fuck Merle! Can’t take a Goddamn shower in peace!”  
“Calm down brother. You got in early last night. Take it you didn’t get no lovin’.”  
“None of ya damn business Merle! Now get ya ass outta here and give me some fuckin’ privacy!” When he heard the door slam he started washing himself.

**********************************************************

 

Yvonne was on her way back home. When she woke that morning, everyone else was still sleeping. She quietly got out of bed, trying hard not to wake Kay who was snoring lightly. She took a quick shower, got dressed and left. Despite the meal she had just a few hours earlier, she was starving. McDonalds drive-thru to the rescue. Eating, driving and smoking; it was a skill, right? Minutes after leaving the drive-thru, her phone began to ring. Hoping that it could be Daryl, she didn’t look at the screen when she answered it. Oh, how she wished she had. “Hi honey. How are you?” Great, she thought, she couldn’t even wait for me to get home and call her. “Doing good Helen. How are you?”  
“Just fine sweetheart. Just wondering when you’d like to meet and pick up Michael”  
“I’m on my way home now. Probably be there in ten to fifteen minutes, so I could meet you wherever and whenever you want. You let me know.”  
“Okay. How about the parking lot of the Target on 36? Give us a couple of hours. He’s been downstairs on the video games since he woke up.”  
“Sure. How’s he been? Did he have fun?”  
“Yeah. We took him to the toy store yesterday and bought him a new game. I think he’s going through a growth spurt. He ate almost a whole pizza last night.”  
“He probably is. I know he’s gotten at least two or three inches taller. I’ll be looking up at him soon enough.”  
“Well, you know David was over six feet.”  
“Yeah. I remember.”  
“Next month will be four years. We’re planning on coming up. Maybe we could all spend some time together. We miss you Yvonne. Haven’t seen much of you since David passed.”  
“I know Helen. I feel bad about that. I’m trying to take care of my son. I work full time and spend the rest of it with him. Let me know when you’ll be down. I’ll make sure we all do something special together.”  
“Okay dear. I’ll let you go so you can drive safely. See ya in a couple of hours.”  
“See ya then. Tell my boy I love him.”  
With that, we hung up. I had hoped to wean that woman out of my life after her son died. I would never taker her grandson way from her, but she doesn’t need to see me to spend time with him. Wonder how Daryl would fit into this equation? Doubt I even have to worry about that.


	6. Chapter 6 Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne deals with the hens at work and Daryl finds courage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another one for ya'll. This one is all Daryl. I know nothing about bikes, so what ya gonna do? I asked my husband some questions, so there ya go. No comments on this at all so far. I'm assuming that means ya'll are okay with where I'm taking this story. I'll accept that. Please don't be shy. I would love to hear from you, good or bad. Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Game face

How long was he supposed to wait to call her? He’d been thinking about it ever since he got out of the shower. What if she’d changed her mind and didn’t want to see him? What if her friends convinced her that he was worthless? If Merle or the boys hit on them, he’d kill ‘em. That stupid, handless idiot was always ruining things for him. He knew why too. Merle knew that if Daryl found something good, he would follow it to wherever it ended, leaving him alone as a result. Yeah, Merle has “friends”, but you couldn’t count on them for shit. They’d just as soon make Merle their scapegoat and take off for the hills. Daryl loved his brother, at least he thought he did. He often wondered what his life would have been without him. Would he be a different person or would he be dead? Don’t need to think about that. Would rather think about Yvonne. As he drove down the road toward the garage, he passed the diner where they had been earlier. If he called her, and she agreed to see him again, it would be better than the diner. Although, the diner was real special. He didn’t want her to think that he didn’t want better with her.  
When he arrived at T’s garage, the man was waiting for him standing next to a bike. “Sorry to call you on Sunday man, but this bike’s been a bitch. Neither Zach or Jim can figure it out.”  
“Who’s it belong to?” Daryl asked. It was a beautiful piece. Brand new he’d guess. Triumph Bonneville, he’d wanted one since he was sixteen.   
“New deputy in town, Shane Walsh, I think. He’s a prick, but a prick with great taste and money.”  
“Okay. I’ll look at it. Don’t want to get my ass arrested if I can’t fix it though.” Daryl laughed. He had known T-Dog since high school. Not a lot of black people in this part of Georgia. Merle and his “friends” have quite a reputation. But T-Dog hadn’t been afraid of them. Stood up to Merle and the gang quite a few times since then. Daryl admired that and had made it a point to be his friend. The two of them and Rick had been close for over thirty years.  
It took the great Daryl Dixon exactly twenty minutes to diagnose the problem. Sugar in his gas tank. It made him chuckle. He hadn’t seen this since he and Rick did the same to the principle’s car junior year. He guessed Rick remembered that too. When he went back to T’s office, he was on the phone, so he shut the door and sat down in the chair next to it.  
“Yeah man, count me in. I’m sure Dixon will want to be there too. He just walked in. I’ll ask him.” He moved the phone away from his face. “It’s Rick. He wants us to come over tonight and watch the game. Lori’s taking the kids to her sister’s. He’s ordering pizza and wings, wants us to bring the beer.”  
“Hell yeah,” he says. “Be more than happy to buy beer. I’ll be sure and get plenty. ‘Sides, I wanna talk to ya’ll about something anyway.”  
T-Dog returns to the phone. “He’s in and bringing beer. Says he’s got something to talk about. Okay man, see ya then.” After he hangs up the phone, he turns his full attention to Daryl. “So, what’s the verdict?”  
“On the bike?” he replies. “Suppose someone don’t like him much. Think I know who it is too.”  
T began to laugh. “Don’t tell me, Rick put sugar in his gas tank, right? Can’t believe those two morons didn’t catch that!”  
“Well, I started thinking about what you said about him being a deputy and a prick. Figured Rick would know him by now. And we both know that prankin’ bastard pretty well.”  
“Yeah, we do,” He laughed. “You gonna bust his ass tonight?”  
“Hell naw. Just want to know how big a prick he is. Got Merle to think about, ya know.”  
“I’d rather not think about Merle,” T said. He paused for a moment the asked, “So, what’s on your mind tonight Dixon? It’s gotta be important if your wanting input on it.”  
“Yeah, well, something happened last night and I really don’t know what to think about it. I’m just confused as hell and don’t know what I should do.”  
“Well, that’s what we’re here for bud. We’ll steer ya right. Does it involve a woman?” T asked and grinned so big, those pearly whites almost blinded Daryl.  
“None of ya damn business! You’ll find out later at Rick’s if I still wanna tell ya by that time.” He huffed out a breath of exasperation. “What time we gotta be there?”  
“The games starts at six, so between five thirty and then?”  
“K. See ya then. I gotta get home and take another shower. Didn’t get to enjoy it this morning ‘cause Merle was being a nosy dick.”  
“I am not gonna ask about that. See ya later Daryl. Be careful.”  
“Sure thing. See ya later.” When Daryl got back to his truck, he noticed that it was four o’clock. Plenty of time to get home, shower, change, buy beer and get to Rick’s. He can’t wait to hear about this new deputy. If he was as bad as he thought, they were all in for some shit. Then he thought about her again. What was he gonna say about her? How could he explain what had happened and what he was feeling? He didn’t even know what he was feeling.  
Two hours later, he was pulling into Rick’s driveway, two cases of beer setting on the seat next to him. As soon as he hops out of the truck, Carl comes running out of the front door. “Daryl! Did you bring your bow? “  
“Nah little man. No need for it. Got no one to maim today buddy.”  
“Ya gotta take me hunting Uncle Daryl. Let me use your bow. Teach me the stuff you’re showing Sophia.”  
“I am teaching ya all the stuff I’m showing Sophia. The crossbow’s still too big for ya, though. Ya arms are too short. You’ll get it in a few years, don’t worry about it. Maybe you could go camping with us in a couple of weeks. Taking Sophia and her mamma. I’ll talk to your parents about it.” He carried one of the cases through the front door as Carl was talking. He dropped it in the kitchen and saw Lori by the sink making a bottle for Judith. “Hey Daryl. Bring enough beer with you?” she asked with wide eyes.   
“Nah. Got another case in the truck.” She laughed at that and left the room to give the baby her bottle. When I got back with the other case, T and Rick came in and started filling a large tub with ice. “Are we allowed to have any of that Dixon?” Rick asked.  
“Only if ya can sneak it. Neither of ya’ll are too quiet. I’ll hear ya coming.”  
Then Lori comes through with a couple of overnight bags and the kids. As she and Rick kiss each other goodbye, Carl gives Daryl a pleading look. Daryl gives him a wink that says, “I’m on it bud.” When the car pulls out of the driveway, the party starts. They each grab a beer, fill a plate with pizza and wings and settle in the living room in front of the big screen.  
“So I understand that we got ourselves a new deputy. What’s he like, Rick?” Daryl asks, smiling and waiting to hear his confessional.  
“He’s a damn Neanderthal. Got that God’s gift to women and law enforcement ego going on. Everyone is guilty until proven innocent shit. He came from Atlanta, so he don’t know shit about running a small town. And to top it all off, he’s my new partner. Chief Horvath has already been all over him about his attitude.”  
“Should I be worried Rick? Should I lock Merle in the closet forever?”  
“I think having Merle locked in the closet would benefit all mankind.” T said, licking wing sauce off his fingers.  
“Ya probably right. He’s gonna hit Walsh’s radar soon, him and the boys. I just hope they can control themselves for a while. Shane’s already convinced this is the meth capital of Georgia. He won’t need them to give him an excuse to start harassing ‘em.” Rick sighed loudly. “Hey, wasn’t there something you wanted to talk about?” he said to Daryl as he passed into the kitchen for more beer.  
“Uh, yeah. I guess so. Just don’t know where to start.” Daryl said, with pizza cheese hanging out of his mouth.  
“Why don’t you start with her name.” T said.   
“Her? It’s a woman?” Rick said incredulously.  
“Good Lord! Yes, it’s a woman. Ya’ll act like I wouldn’t recognize one if I saw it. I do like women, ya know.”  
“Yeah, we know,” said T, “but I don’t think we’ve ever known one to like you. Or you to want to talk about one.”  
Daryl cleared his throat and took a swig from his beer. They were looking at him with anticipation and excitement, like they were two year olds and SpongeBob was about to sing them a song. “Her name is Yvonne. She has long, blond hair, dark brown eyes, soft lips and an amazing body.”  
“How do you know how soft her lips are?” Rick asked.  
“Because I kissed her, dumbass.”  
“Big step for you man,” T said as he wiped fake tears from his eyes. “Rick, our boy’s growing up.”  
T and Rick laughed and Daryl threw his now empty of everything but wing bones plate at them. “Fuck both of ya! If ya’ll are just gonna make fun of me, I’ll take my beer and go home.”  
“Now, Daryl,” Rick said in his best officer’s voice, “We’re not making fun of ya. We’re just really happy. Tell us what happened.”  
While Daryl went into the kitchen to get more food and beer, he began to tell them all about her, what he knew anyway. He told them every detail about the night and how it ended. Rick and T just listened, not making any more comments. Both of them were stunned that a woman had been able to do this to their friend. Their friend who had experienced so much pain and humiliation in his life. Their friend who had never had an interest in a woman for more than one night, and even that was few and far between. They couldn’t get over how happy he seemed. His eyes were bright and big and his smile was blinding. They both loved Daryl like a brother, and they would make sure he didn’t fuck this up. They would make sure he got his happy ending.


	7. Chapter 7 Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne deals with the hens at work and Daryl finds courage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I messed up the last chapter. Wrong title and description, Oops. My bad. But here's a new one for you. Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

“Making Plans” 

Damn! I hate waking up, especially Monday morning. I hadn’t heard my alarm go off yet, so maybe I could get a little more rest. I got about two or three minutes in before I heard “Blood of Cu Chulainn” blaring through my phone. I know Michael heard it too. I could hear him moaning and groaning in his bedroom next door. I roll myself out of bed, almost literally, and grab my clothes for the day. As I walked into the hallway, I stopped at Michael’s door. “You need in the bathroom ya better go now. I’m gonna take a shower.” He climbed out of bed and walked down the hallway with his eyes closed. “Better open those eyes before you pee, boy. I ain’t cleaning that up.” A minute later, I hear the toilet flush and the door squeak on its hinges. He had his eyes open, but not focused. “Can I lay back down?” Michael whined as he walked passed me, back into his room. “Yeah. Gonna shower and get dressed. Then I’ll come get you and start breakfast, okay?”   
“Great mom. Thanks. I love you.”  
“Love you too, sweetie. Now sleep. Take advantage of my generosity.”  
I love hot showers. The hotter, the better. Steamy, leave red marks on your skin, hot showers. After I lost all that weight when I had pneumonia a couple years ago, I get chills in sixty degree weather. I just let the water run over me and warm me up before I started to wash. It was supposed to be a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Well, not too warm, in the seventies. I could deal with that. I supposed Daryl could deal with it too. Being outside all day has to be better this time of year. It’s still hot during the fall here, but sometimes we luck out. I cut off the water and dried myself off. After putting on my uniform. I got the boy out of bed and went to go fix breakfast. This morning it’s pancakes and bacon, the dream of diabetics and heart patients everywhere. Twenty minutes later, I was putting the food on the table as Michael walked in. He hands me a piece of paper and sits down to devour his nutritious breakfast. I take the paper, grab a cigarette and my coffee and go outside to the back porch. I light my smoke and take a sip of coffee before I read the note. A field trip, a weekend field trip actually. Both of the fifth grade classes are going camping next month. Wow, even he gets to go and I don’t. I’m not volunteering for this one though. I sign it and put my cigarette out in the water bottle I keep by the chair. When I get back inside, Michael is gone, his plate clean. I snag a couple pancakes and some bacon and sit down.  
When Michael reappears, he has his backpack and his lunch ready to go. “Did you sign it?”  
“Yup.”  
“Are you going with us?”  
“Nope.”  
“How come?”  
“The idea of spending an entire weekend with forty ten year olds advances my age by decades, hon. My heart nor mind could handle it.”  
“You could hang with the girls.”  
“Not helping your case. Staying with a bunch of little girls, screaming and throwing glitter around isn’t my idea of a good time either. Besides, if I were there, you wouldn’t enjoy yourself. You’d be looking over your shoulder the whole time and wouldn’t do the things you want to do. Now grab your stuff. I’m leaving.”  
When I got to the café an hour later, I noticed Beth and Amy were already there, setting everything up. “Hey girls. Been here long?”  
“No, just about ten minutes,” Beth said. “Zach’s gonna be a little late though. He had to go back to his dorm room to take a shower and get dressed.”  
“How in the hell do you sneak him in and out of that house, Beth? Is your daddy blind and deaf?”  
She giggled and said, “That house is one hundred sixty years old. It has its secrets.”  
“As long as those secrets don’t cause some unsuspecting visitor to lose a cooking hand, I don’t really want to know,” I said.  
Then I heard the backdoor open and close and saw Zack in the back getting out his baking equipment. He’d make a great chef one day. I always joked with Beth that at least it wouldn’t be her responsibility to have dinner on the table every night. As the three of us began to set up the tables, Amy and Beth started talking about their weekend. They had spent it together along with Zack and Amy’s boyfriend Gareth. I was hoping to avoid entry into this conversation, but couldn’t.  
“Did you have a good weekend Yvonne? You went for a girl’s weekend, right?” Beth asked.  
“Went to my friend Kay’s house in Senoia. Went to a bar, met a guy. Normal stuff.”  
They both stopped in mid-swipe and just looked at me. Then, in sync, they began jumping up and down screaming their head off. Dancing around me like they were going to sacrifice me to the god of coffeehouse coffee. “Yvonne’s got a boyfriend! Yvonne’s got a boyfriend!” they sang over and over until Zack came out into the dining area. “What the hell are ya’ll doing?”  
“I met a guy,” I said. “They’re excited.”  
“Congratulation Vonne. You get laid yet?”  
Goddamn that little punk! Smartass little dick! “None of your damn business Zachary!”  
“That’s a no, huh?” He smirks as he goes back into the kitchen.   
“What’s his name? What’s he look like? What’s he do?” They berated me with the same questions I endured Saturday night. We had about thirty minutes until the doors opened, so the three of us grabbed some coffee and sat down to talk. I told them everything that happened the night I met Daryl. From the borrowed lighter to the kiss in this truck. “Oh my God!” Amy said, “Has he called you yet?”  
“No. I doubt he will. He’s too good to want me. He can do so much better than a clingy, needy piece of shit with baggage.”  
“Yes, but he doesn’t know that about you yet.” Beth deadpans.  
“You’re real funny. Open the door so these fuckers can get their coffee,” I said.  
Three hours later and the place was almost empty from the morning rush. “I’m gonna go outside for a quick smoke,” I told the girls and grabbed my phone going out to the back alley. I had one missed call, which I didn’t recognize, and one voicemail. I lit my smoke and checked my message.  
“Hey Yvonne. It’s Daryl. Um, just realized you probably don’t recognize this number since I didn’t give you mine. Give me a call back when you can. Bye.”  
Holy shit! He did call me. I hurriedly redialed his number. He answered after two rings.  
“Hey Daryl. Sorry I missed your call. I’m working today and had my phone in my locker. I’m taking a break now and thought I’d check it.”  
“It’s okay. Figured you’d be busy. Didn’t think much of it. How are you?”  
“Doing well. Tired already. You have a good weekend?”  
“I met this really cool chick and I’m wondering when I can see her again.”  
“I’m sure she’d love to see you again too. You should ask her to lunch.”  
“With the bad weather coming this week, probably won’t do much construction work. I could go to lunch just about any day.”  
“I’m off on Wednesday,” I said. “Think I can fit you in. I could make us something and you could come to my house. Or, if you don’t want to drive all that way, I could go to you or we can meet somewhere in between.”  
“I’ll come pick ya up. Take ya somewhere. You can pick it. I really don’t care where. I’ll eat just about anything.”  
“Okay, I’ll pick a place. If you’re off all day, then maybe we could do something besides just lunch? It’d be a shame to drive all the way here just to turn back around and go home.”  
“All right, if ya wanna. You make the plans, I’ll provide the transportation. Just text me your address and what time to be there.”  
“Sure. Probably not till tonight though. When I get home from work. That okay?”  
“Yeah sure. I’ll see ya then. Bye Yvonne. Looking forward to it.”  
“Bye Daryl. Me too.”


	8. Chapter 8 In the Daylight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Yvonne have lunch and some fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of a two parter. I will post the next installment very soon. Thank you for all the kudos/hits and subscribes. They make my heart flutter. Please enjoy!

Chapter Eight

In the Daylight- multi POV

After dropping Michael off at school, Yvonne raced home. She hadn’t even decided what she was gonna wear on her lunch date. She tried not to get excited, but she just couldn’t help it. Her head was really trying to win the race between it and her heart. She finally chose a simple pair of boot cut jeans and her Ramones t-shirt. After downing a bowl of cereal, cup of coffee and having a smoke, she headed for the shower.   
Daryl woke up nervous that morning. He hardly slept thinking about his lunch date with Yvonne. He was excited to see her, but his mind kept telling him everything that could go wrong. He’d never gotten this far with a woman before, never wanted too, and he was shit at this. He’d have to talk to her, which was okay, but he didn’t know how to do it with her. Women love to talk about stupid shit. Maybe he could just nod his head at the right time and just keep staring at her. No way, she would expect participation. He would want to participate, but God this is nerve-racking. When he got out of the shower, he checked his phone. She had sent him a text with her address and said to be at her house at eleven. He put the address in his phone’s GPS and anxiously smoked a cigarette. He was about to jump out of his skin, so he decided to go ahead and leave. It was only ten, but there could be traffic, right?  
Yvonne was trying to keep her mind busy until Daryl showed up. She had already unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and swept the porch steps. Her watch said ten twenty and she wondered if Daryl was the type to be late or early. She sat on the couch and flipped through the TV stations until she heard a door slam. She stood up to peer out the front window and saw Daryl’s truck in her driveway. He was standing outside leaning on the driver’s side door smoking. He looked incredible. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt and black jeans and they made him look sexy. She just stood there watching for a while until he squished the smoke under his boot. She quickly moved from the window to the door to greet him. He stepped up to the door and knocked twice. She passed a mirror on her way to him, took a quick look and got her own approval. She took a deep breath and opened the door.   
Daryl stuttered a bit when the door opened. Her hair flowed over her shoulders and shined in the small amount of sunlight shining. She ushered him inside and offered him a seat. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be early or late. Uh, you want something to drink?” He shook his head no. The silence seemed to last forever. Then she looked at her watch. “It’s almost eleven. We can leave now, if you want?”  
“Sure. Where are we going?”  
“A little coffee house/café in town. The food is good and the coffee is great and I know everybody that works there.”  
“Alright. Let’s go,” he said and we walked out the door to his truck. As we rode to the café, it began to rain. “Hope you didn’t make outdoor plans.”  
“Well, actually, I had. But I also thought of something we could do if it rained. Maybe we could go to the movies or go back to my house and watch one. Whatever you want. Or, we could do something else.”  
“Movie’s good. Your place or wherever, don’t matter to me. We’ll have a good time regardless. What were your outdoor plans?”  
“There’s a park down the road from the café. I thought we could go for a walk. There’s a pond with ducks. Maybe we could have fed the ducks?”  
“Sounds like a good idea. Maybe we still could, if it’s not raining when we leave. Or we could just do it another time. This ain’t gonna be the last time we see each other. There’s lots of stuff I’d like to do with you,” he said shyly. “There’s gonna be a carnival in Senoia in a few weeks, maybe I could take you?”  
“I love carnivals. I haven’t been to one in years. That sounds like a lot of fun.”  
“Maybe I’ll even win ya a prize. Something big and fluffy that you can carry around all night,” he said smiling. He was amazed at himself. For feeling so self-conscious earlier, he was feeling very confident now. He’d never felt like this around a woman before. She was definitely some kind of special.  
When we pulled into the café parking lot, it dawned on me that I hadn’t told Amy or Beth that I was coming in on my day off, much less that I would be bringing someone with me. Hopefully, they would be big girls and wait till I came back to work to give me a hard time. Daryl held the door as we walked in. Knowing the place as well as I did, I had chosen the perfect time to be there and it not be busy. I saw Amy at the counter when we walked in. She looked up at us as the door chimed. I smiled at her and led Daryl to the front to place our order.   
“Hey Yvonne!” Amy said, baring all her shiny teeth at me. “What are you doing in here today? I thought you’d be at home catching up on your sleep. Perfect day for that.”  
“Yeah, well, I had a better offer. This is Daryl, Daryl this is my friend Amy.”  
“Nice to meet you Amy,” he said shyly, barely looking up at her. I tried to give her a look to say ‘We can talk about this shit later. Just let us be for now’. Gratefully, she understood and asked for our order. We both got plain black coffee and the five cheese grilled cheese with chips. “I’ll have Bethy bring it out when it’s ready. I’ll get your coffee.” She poured the cups and we took them to a table in the back.  
“So you come here a lot? It’s a nice little place.”  
“I’m here at least five days a week. Sometimes six if someone calls in.”  
“You work here?”  
“Yup. For about four years now. It’s a good job. The girls aren’t too bad if you can tune them out occasionally.”  
“So we get to eat for free or something? That why we came here?”  
“Not free, but we’ll get a good bit cut off the bill. That’s the least they can do. I’ve covered their asses enough. Besides, they’ll probably only ask for information in return for the food.”  
“What kind of information?” he asked.  
“About you. Who are you? How did I meet you? Is it serious? Shit like that. They’re gossipy hens and get excited when something new happens around here. Truth be told, I’m quite a topic of discussion with my friends right now.”  
“Why? You got something going on that nobody knows about?” he said with a smirk.  
“I’ve got absolutely nothing going on. That’s the point. Everyone I know is always trying to set me up with someone. Haven’t dated in a while and I guess they’re just concerned that I’m gonna end up the lonely cat lady.” It was then that I looked up and saw Beth coming out of the kitchen with our food. She was grinning the entire way to our table. She paused looking at both of us before setting our plates down.  
“Good to see ya Yvonne. Who’s this ya got with ya?”  
“Beth, this is Daryl. Daryl, this is Beth.” If she even thinks about starting shit, she’ll be calling in sick next week.  
“Nice to meet ya Daryl,” she said so sweetly.  
“Hey Beth. Nice to meet ya,” he said. He looked up at her as he spoke.  
“Enjoy your lunch guys. Let me know if ya need anything,” she said as she walked away.  
“She seems pretty damn perky, doesn’t she?” Daryl said as he took a bite of his sandwich.  
“The consequences of being nineteen. She’ll grow out of it, I hope.” We smiled at each other as we ate our lunch and got refills on our coffee. Daryl finished his lunch before I did and just sat there silently watching me eat.  
I just couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. The way that t-shirt and jeans hug her hips and breasts just knocked the breath right outta me. I hope she didn’t notice that I was staring at her tits the whole time, but I just couldn’t stop myself. I just wanted to touch them so bad and I’m such a pervert creep for this. I sound like that douche bag Len. I had to get my mind and eyes on something else. “So, it’s nice that you have friends that care about you, that want to see you happy.”  
“I can’t fault them for that. I just wish they would let me handle it on my own. I can do it. I met you on my own, didn’t I?”  
“That you did, and I’m glad I met you. Never known a woman like you before. Those girls at the bar got no self-respect. They’ll do anything with anyone for any reason. Can’t be with women like that anymore. I’m real glad I met ya.” Did I just fucking say that shit? Good God, she’s gonna run all the way back to her house now.  
“I’m glad I met you too Daryl. Been a long time since I had a man open doors for me or buy me dinner. It means a lot to me.”  
That Amy chick came over to the table and set the check down and left. I quickly picked it up before Yvonne could move. When I looked at it, I burst out laughing. Yvonne just looked at me confused and I handed the piece of paper to her. As she read, she began laughing too.  
He’s hot Yvonne. No charge for ya’ll’s meal, just walk in front of him when ya leave so we can watch his ass go.  
“I’ll shake my ass for a free meal,” I said as I started to calm down.  
“Well, let’s get out of here then so they can catch the show.”  
When she stood up, I got behind her, put my hand on her waist and pushed her toward the door. I looked over my shoulder and saw both Amy and Beth watching us. As I walked through the door, I stopped long enough to stick out my ass and shake it before the door closed.


	9. Chapter 9 In the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now the fun begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! That was quick! Hope you like reading this as much as I love writing it! Please enjoy! And comment!

Chapter Nine

“In the Rain”

It was raining as we left the café and we ran to my truck laughing the whole way. When the truck doors closed, we were wet and breathless. I can’t believe I’ve met a woman I can laugh with. A woman that I have fun with. We quickly decided that a movie at her house was the best plan. It started raining harder as we got closer to her home. We made a mad dash to the front door as soon as I put the truck in park. We looked like drowned rats dripping all over her floor.   
“Wait here,” she said and ran through the house. I shook myself like a dog and soon felt something hit me in the face. She had brought a towel for each of us. “Dry yourself and take your clothes off. I’ll put our stuff in the dryer. I’ve got some clothes you can put on.” Does she really want me naked in her bathroom? “Go, hurry! You’re dripping everywhere. Give me a minute to change and I’ll bring your clothes.” I made my way down the hall and into the bathroom. I stripped off everything, even by boxers, and waited for Yvonne to bring dry clothes. I took a minute to look around. She had candles on the edge of the tub. I peeked through the curtain. She had strawberry scented shampoo. I popped the cap and took a whiff. I’d been perving all day, why stop now? I loved that smell. I wanted to bury my hands in her hair and smell it. A knock on the door startled me and I dropped the bottle.” You okay in there?” she asked. “Yeah, just wasn’t expecting a knock.” She stuck her hand through the door and handed me a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. “Thanks,” I said. “I’ll be right out.”  
Good God, I thought. I’ve got a naked man in my bathroom. I imagined it for a second. Thought about going in there, but what would I do then? I haven’t been with anyone in so long, I think I’ve forgotten what to do. He looked so good in those wet clothes. Hell, they looked good dry. The way those jeans hugged his ass, and other parts. When he came out of the bathroom, he had his wet clothes balled up and handed them to me. As he rubbed a towel over his still dripping hair, he said, “They’re still a little drippy.”

“That’s fine,” I replied. “I’m just gonna throw everything into the dryer for a while. Just go sit in the living room. Pick out a movie if ya want. I’ll be back in a minute.” When I got back to the living room, Daryl was looking through my DVD’s. “Find anything ya like?”  
“Um, yeah, I think so. I never seen is one, but Merle has. Said it was pretty good, lots of violence.” He showed me the cover, Boondock Saints.  
“Good choice. It’s one of my favorites. Never would have seen it if it weren’t for my. . . “I hesitated. I can’t say it, not yet anyway. “This guy I used to know. Had a hard on for action flicks. Convinced me to watch this one with him. One of the character is like that too. Kinda reminds me of him.”  
“We don’t have to watch it if you don’t wanna,” Daryl said sadly. “I can pick out something else.”  
“No. I love this movie. It’s been a long time and it doesn’t make me think about him anymore.” I took it from him and put it in the DVD player. As we sat back on the couch, I looked at the time. It was only twelve thirty, plenty of time before I would have to leave to pick up Michael. I could tell Daryl was enjoying the movie. He moved closer to me on the couch and put his arm around the back of it, not touching me, but close. Soon, and without comprehension, I was leaning in toward him, our shoulders barely touching. Although I’ve seen it a million times, this scene always startles the shit out of me. The damn cat. It startled Daryl too. When the gun went off, we both jumped. His arm moved from the couch and wrapped around me as I almost jumped directly into his lap. Then he started laughing when he realized what had happened. I was a little embarrassed and tried to move away, but he didn’t release me. We just looked at each other for a minute before his hand cupped my cheek. He leaned in toward me while pulling my face to his. Our lips met just as they had the other night. Only this time our lips moved together. His tongue swept over mine and I opened my mouth slightly. He took advantage and pushed his tongue into my mouth. He took his time with it, but still it was too short. When he pulled away, my eyes were still closed. I didn’t want to open them, afraid of what I’d see.  
I relished the softness of her lips. Never felt anything so soft. I wondered if the rest of her felt like silk too. I kissed her till I couldn’t breathe. When I separated my lips from her’s, she hadn’t opened her eyes yet. She looked like a fucking angel. Beautiful, peaceful and content. When her eyes opened, I panicked. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly, feeling embarrassed.  
“Please don’t apologize. If you are truly sorry that happened, I think it would kill me,” she said, just as quietly. I kissed her again and she kissed me back with passion. I put my hands on her waist and pulled her fully on top of me, straddling me. I was starting to get hard, but was too distracted to be ashamed of it. My lips left her mouth and trailed down across her jawline to beneath her ear and down her neck. She leaned her head to the side giving me better access. I licked and nibbled my way down to her shoulder and she started moaning and rocking her hips against mine. My brain was in a haze and I heard her say my name over and over again. I felt her push me away, but still didn’t register what was going on. I was breathing heavy and could barely hear her talking. Then I heard her say, “Can’t do this.” That snapped me back to reality.  
“What?”  
“We can’t do this Daryl. I can’t do this. It’s too soon. I’m sorry.”  
“If I’m not allowed to apologize, then you can’t either. I don’t feel sorry for what I done. Only if you didn’t want it.”  
“I haven’t been kissed in almost four years. Even longer than that for a good one. I lost control. But I’m not sorry, truly I’m not. I don’t want to embarrass you or make you feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to disgust you.”  
“Disgust me? How in the hell would you do that? You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. You’re an angel.” I thought she was gonna cry when I said that. She turned her head away from me and suddenly shot up and off me. Shit! I was still hard. I know she could feel it, but I didn’t want her to see it.  
“I didn’t know it had gotten so late. There’s somewhere I gotta be at three.” I looked at the clock on the wall that said it was two fifty. “It’s okay. As long as it’s not across town, you’ll be fine,” I said as I grabbed her wrist to calm her down. “Where ya gotta go? I can drive ya.”  
Well damn, I thought. This day couldn’t get any more awkward than it already is, until just now. How do I tell him I have a son that I have to pick up from school? “I have to go to the middle school,” I said.  
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you, just give me a minute.” He went into the bathroom and came back out in under a minute flat. I don’t know what he did, but he was less aroused when he came back. “Let’s go,” he said and headed out the door. We arrived at the school with three minutes to spare.   
“Thank you for driving me here. You didn’t have to. I appreciate it.”   
“Well, it’s half my fault you was running late,” was all he said.  
“He won’t recognize your truck, so I’m just gonna stand outside the door so he’ll see me. “ I got out and closed the door before he could say a word. My heart was racing again, but for a different reason. This time it wasn’t excitement, this was fear of rejection.


	10. Chapter 10 A Moment of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl meets Michael

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post this earlier than I had planned. This one is for Glitter0811. Happy Thanksgiving!

Chapter Ten  
“A Moment of Truth”

When Michael came out of the building, I waved to him. He was looking around for me and finally looked my way. I started walking toward him hoping to intercede before he reached the truck. I wanted to explain the situation. I hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on the head. “Hey sweetie. You have a good day?”  
“Yeah. How come you’re not waiting in the car?”  
As we walked to Daryl’s truck, I tried to explain. “I didn’t bring the car. A friend of mine drove me here. A new friend.”  
“Who is she?”  
“Not a she sweetheart, a he. His name is Daryl and I met him when I was at Kay’s last weekend.”  
“Okay, so, is he your boyfriend?”  
“Um, no. Just a friend. Be nice to him Michael. He’s a good guy.”  
We got to the truck and I got him in the backseat. Daryl looked over his shoulder as I took his backpack and opened the passenger side door. I closed it and reminded Michael to put on his seatbelt. I glanced over at Daryl and said, “This is my son, Michael. Michael, this is Daryl.”  
“Your new friend?” Michael asked.   
“Yes, honey.”  
“Nice to meet ya kid,” Daryl said and started the engine. It was quiet on the way home. When we entered the house, I heard the dryer ding. I had forgotten about our wet clothes. I was still so nervous. Daryl hadn’t said a word since he greeted my son, hadn’t even looked at me. Michael put his backpack on the couch and went into his room to change clothes. Daryl came up behind me, but didn’t touch me.  
“He’s a cute kid. Bet he’s got a lot of girlfriends.”  
I turned around and saw him smiling. Is that a good sign? “I’m sorry you had to find out like that. I wanted to see if there was a reason to tell you before I said anything.”  
“I don’t care that ya got a kid,” he said and moved closer to me. “I was surprised, but not mad, if that’s what ya think. If he’s yours, he can’t be too bad. I bet you’re a great mom.”  
“Thank you Daryl. I was a little anxious when I realized that you’d be meeting him today. That was unexpected.”  
“No worries Yvonne. He’s not gonna run me off. If you want me to stay, I’ll stay. I ain’t gonna let go of whatever this is just because ya got a kid.” Michael came walking into the kitchen and asked about dinner.  
“Haven’t really thought about it. What would you like?” I said.  
“Can we order pizza? Daryl likes pizza, right? You’re staying for dinner Daryl, okay.”  
“That’s up to your mom, bud,” he said unsure of himself.  
“You can stay, if you want. If you’re not sick of me already.”  
He looked at me between long strands of shaggy hair and said, “Never.”  
Michael tried to get Daryl to play one of his zombie video games with him. Daryl had never played a lot of video games, but he relented, and ended up kicking Michael’s ass. “If there’s ever a zombie apocalypse, I’m hiding behind Daryl,” he said.  
“There won’t be room for the both of us,” I said. “You fend for yourself.” Daryl thought that was funny. “Don’t worry buddy. I’d protect both of ya. Wouldn’t let anything happen to you or your mom,” he said and winked at Michael. When nine thirty rolled around, I sent Michael to bed. He didn’t want to go, of course, but gave in after Daryl promised to give him a chance to redeem himself in the zombie apocalypse.  
When Michael was asleep, Daryl and I went outside for a smoke. “I think he likes you,” I said quietly.  
“I like him. He seems to be a lot like you; sweet, kind, cute.”  
“I don’t know what to say Daryl. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard nice things like that. Well, that sounded sincere anyway.”  
“I mean it Yvonne,” he said and took a step closer to me, backing me against the brick wall. “You’re kind, beautiful, smart and an awesome mom. Wish my mom could have been more like you.”  
“Daryl, you’re gonna give me a complex if you don’t stop. This is just me. I’ve tried to change, but I can’t.”  
“Why would you want to change? That your choice, or someone want to change you? Only an idiot wouldn’t see how great you are.”  
I felt his eyes on me, then his hand on my neck pulling me to him. He hesitated, looking for approval he didn’t need. I looked into his eyes, dark and wanting, wondering if mine looked the same. I barely nodded my head and his lips attached to mine. It was slow, but hungry. I didn’t lie to him, it had been about four years since I’d been kissed properly, and now I’ve had three toe curling kisses in one day. My heart was beating in my throat. His tongue swept over my lips and caressed my mouth. His hand grabbed my hips and pulled me into him. My arms went around his neck. I would soon pass out from lack of oxygen, but I didn’t care. Finally, we separated. His lips were red and swollen as mine were also, I assumed. He put his forehead to mine still holding tight to my hips. Breathing heavily, he said, “Gotta go. I’ll call you. I’ll text you. I promise I’ll see you before I take Carol and Sophia camping.”  
“Okay,” is the only word I could muster the energy to say? He slowly released his grip on me and kissed my forehead. I watched him walk to the truck and get in. We briefly looked at each other before he pulled out of the driveway and I watched him leave.   
Goddamn! I cannot be in love with her! I kept saying that to myself the whole way home. By the time I got there, I knew that I was. I was already falling in love with her. No one had ever been as nice and good to me as she has been. Everyone I’d ever gotten close to or cared about had hurt me, both physically and emotionally, or left me. I won’t let that happen again. This feels different, this feels good. She makes me feel confident, makes me feel good about myself. She has no reason whatsoever to spend time with me, but she did. She let me touch her, kiss her and she kissed and touched me back. I’m not gonna let this go bad, I can’t. It would kill me.


	11. Chapter 11 Being in the damn woods gives you too much time to think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl, Carol, Sophia and Carl go camping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for Debbief722 as a thank you for the kudos. Kudos and comments make my world go 'round. Here's another one for you. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Eleven  
“Being alone in the damn woods gives you too much time to think”

In the last week and a half, Daryl and Yvonne had called and text each other about a billion times, or so it seemed. Every morning when they woke up, every night before they went to sleep and during the day just to say ‘Hi’. They had seen each other only once. They met Kay and her fiancé Chris for dinner one night. Kay had given her approval and told Yvonne that if she didn’t lay him soon the poor boy looked like he would explode. Not if she didn’t explode first, Yvonne replied. They were still shy around each other, to a point. Both seemed unsure of themselves in certain situations. Neither assumed anything about the other. Yvonne was waiting for the other shoe to drop. This couldn’t possibly be real and surely would end soon. Daryl was also waiting for the end to come. He prayed every morning to have her in his life one more day. Both were afraid to talk about it, scared it would jinx them. He knew how he felt about her, he had come to terms with that, but he told no one. He’s pretty sure that Rick and T-Dog knew, but, gratefully they didn’t bring it up. They would ask about Her, not Them. Daryl appreciated that; he wouldn’t have known what to say. Merle suspected something, but didn’t know anything for a fact. He’d been talking to the boys about it too. Speculating on what he was doing on his phone all the time. Why he don’t seem to listen or pay attention as well as he used to. He was distracted by the thought of her, and he thought about her all the time. He saw her every time he closed his eyes.  
He really regretted telling Sophia and Carl he would take them camping. When Daryl had asked Rick and Lori about it, they had nearly knocked him over with consent. They would get Lori’s mom to watch Judith and have a weekend to themselves. He wouldn’t back out of this for them, they really hadn’t had a lot of time together since little asskicker was born. But, he was thinking about what he could be doing instead. Maybe he would talk to her this weekend, but there was no way he would see her. Next weekend was a big one for her. She has family coming in from Tennessee for the weekend. Probably wouldn’t see her then either. He decided that after all this was over and they both had the time, he would take her camping.  
He was supposed to pick up Carol and Sophia at three o’clock on Friday and then go to Rick’s to pick up Carl. The drive was about an hour and filled with noise. He and Carol tried to have a conversation, but the two in the back made that impossible. He just sucked it up and drove on. When they got to the campsite, the first thing he did was put the kids to work. He made them put the tents together. There was a moment when he thought that they had killed them dead, the tents that is. They looked twisted and broken, but with Daryl’s gentle guiding, they were put together properly. The whole time, Carol was trying to get valuable information out of him. She knew he was still seeing that girl he had brought into the diner that night, but he wouldn’t talk about it. Probably because he had been with Merle and the boys every time he had come in. Daryl liked to practice self-preservation.  
“I know you’re dying to say something Daryl. You know way too much about me to not feel comfortable. Just spit it out. I could help you maybe?” she said, trying to take his attention away from the tents for the moment.  
“Maybe you can. I don’t know where to go from here. Never dated anyone or had a girlfriend or anything like that. I think I’m kinda stuck. I’m afraid I’m gonna do the wrong thing. I’m trying to keep all this from Merle and his boys. I don’t want her anywhere near them. I don’t want anyone near her but me. Shit! I’m in so goddamn deep with this. I’m scared I’m moving too fast. I’m scared that she’s gonna see how worthless I am.”  
“You are not worthless Daryl Dixon. You have more value than any man I’ve ever known. You saved mine and Sophia’s lives, remember? You got us away from Ed. I will owe you the rest of my life for that. And how do you know she doesn’t feel the same way? Has she told you much about herself? Anything about her past?”  
“Not really. She has a son, he’s pretty cool. I know she hasn’t dated in a while. Told me she hadn’t been kissed in four years. I haven’t really thought about that kinda shit. I mean, I have, the kid’s dad, ya know? Where is he? What happened? I think she almost mentioned him the first time I was at her house. Should I ask her about it?”  
“No. She’ll tell you when she’s ready. Have you told her anything about you?”  
“Hell no! She don’t want to hear about that. That’d ruin everything,” he said, disgusted by the thought.   
“You don’t know much about her Daryl. What if she told you something horrible had happened to her? What if she was like me?” Carol desperately tried to get him to understand what this woman may need from him. If he could understand that, if he could comprehend what that would mean for him, then maybe they could help each other. “Are you in love with her?”  
He exhaled sharply, “I think so. Not sure what this is, but I cannot stop thinking about her. I think I could have a real life with her, a real family. I know this is happening pretty fast, but my head is full of this. If she’s like you, if she’s been through something like that, I wouldn’t care. I could help her. I could be there for her. I’d try like hell, but how do I get her to trust me? I know she’s not ready for something serious. She’s not ready to give herself to me, and truth be told, I’m still hesitant about that myself. I’m scared Carol; scared that I’m gonna get hurt, scared that I’m making bad decisions and scared I’m gonna hurt her. She makes me feel good about who I am. I feel comfortable around her. We laugh together. I forget who I am when I’m with her. What if she’s just using me Carol? I’d fucking die. How do I get her to love me like that?”  
Carol patiently listened to Daryl’s concerns as she mulled it over in her head. She would help him with this. She owed him her life, the least she could do for this amazing, selfless man is help him find the love he so desperately wanted and needed. “I think I know how to help you Daryl. You should bring her to my house for dinner, her son too, he could meet Sophia. And bring Merle too if ya want. You’ll need moral support and even though you might not think it, your brother loves you. He may not know about all the things you’ve been through, but he knows you’ve suffered because of his dumbass. He wants to make up for that, let him. He’ll support you. Anyway, I’d like to get to know her. Any woman who can tie Daryl Dixon in a knot, is a special one. I can’t live the rest of my life without knowing that kind of girl.”  
“I’ll ask her when we get back to the city. I’m sure she’ll say yes. She’s that kinda woman. She’s always trying to do things for me. She says she wants me to be happy,” he said and smiled.  
“Well, she’s doing a good job at that, I think. And think about it Daryl, if she’s making that much of an effort, she feels something for you.”  
Daryl didn’t say anything else. He’d been doing nothing but thinking about this. He’d come to so many conclusions about what was going on, he couldn’t keep anything straight. Now, he had a lot more to think about. He kept going from hopeful to doubtful and it was driving him crazy. Finally he just stood up and offered Carol his hand helping her stand. He announced that they had just enough time to maybe get some rabbit for dinner and told Carl and Sophia to get ready to head out, that he’d give them a quick tracking lesson. That night, as he laid in the tent he was sharing with Carl, he thought back to what Carol had said. If Yvonne had suffered, he knew what that was like. It hurt him so much to think that anyone had put their hands on her or her boy in anger. He was gonna find out the truth and help her heal, just like she was helping him.


	12. Chapter 12 Lying by the side of the road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne needs a mechanic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for Jaolin93 as a thank you for reading and leaving kudos in your wake. Some may think this is a filler chapter, but a meeting happens here that will influence future chapters. Once again, thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I love you all. So, sit back and relax. It's story time.

Chapter Twelve  
Lying by the side of the road

Yvonne had been thinking about Daryl all weekend. She hadn’t heard from him in two days. She didn’t expect to, but she missed it all the same. She had plenty to fill her time, but not her mind. She knew she was getting in deep with this emotionally and that scared her. She tried to reason with herself. She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t real, that she felt this way because she hadn’t been around a man in so long. She tried to convince herself that she could do this, a relationship with Daryl, if he wanted that. She would be willing to give herself to that. She doubted that is what he wanted from this though. Then she thought she would be able to deal with that, if he didn’t want a relationship. If she was ever ready and willing to be with him, she knew that would be the end. She wasn’t very good at the sex thing. David had told her that enough times. She wouldn’t be able to please Daryl, and he would bolt. But he doesn’t seem like that kind of man, she kept telling herself. She was so afraid to bring it up. She wasn’t good at talking about her feelings, it always seemed that there weren’t any words that did them justice, so she just didn’t.  
She was too preoccupied with her thoughts that morning to notice that her car was losing speed. She was struggling to make it over the smallest hill and dips in the road. Finally, she pulled over on the side when she realized her car was stressed. She knew very little about cars, David had always taken care of that. He knew them inside and out. She was afraid to make the little Sonata move if it was so unwilling. Daryl would know what to do, she’d call him. First though, she had to call the café and let them know she would be late. After she did that, she dialed Daryl’s number. He was on the construction site, but told her he would call T-Dog and get him to tow it back to his garage. He would look at it after he left work. So, sitting back to wait for this T-Dog guy, her thoughts returned to Daryl. She wanted so badly to see him again. She had desired him so much that she had done something that she hadn’t in a long time. Saturday night, after Michael had gone to sleep, she got into the box at the top of her closet. She had a small collection of toys that she had kept from her time with David. She brought out Mac and dusted him off. Even though it did the job, she couldn’t help but wonder how much better it would have been if it had been Daryl inside her instead of a stupid, overpriced piece of plastic.  
Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice the police cruiser pull up behind her. She was thrown from her contemplations by a knock on her window. She rolled it down and greeted the officers. “Good morning, ma’am. You having car trouble?”  
“Yeah, I’ve got a tow truck on the way.”  
“Well, it’s a slow crime day today. Let my partner and I keep ya company while you wait. Don’t want anything to happen to a pretty lady.”  
“Thank you. That would be fine,” Yvonne said. Such a charmer, she thought sarcastically. She noticed their squad car said Senoia Sherriff Department. “If you guys are from Senoia, what are you doing out of county?”  
“Overnight transfer to the Woodbury Police Station. One of your locals thought he could hide out with us, but we said no. I’m Deputy Shane Walsh. This is my partner, Deputy Rick Grimes.”  
“I’m Yvonne Bradley. It’s nice to meet you.”  
When Rick heard her introduce herself, he wondered if she was Daryl’s Yvonne. Had to be, not many of those around here. He didn’t say anything though, he wasn’t sure if Daryl had mentioned him or not. She didn’t show any recognition when she heard his name. He walked toward her to shake her hand. “So, how long ago you call for the tow?” he asked.  
“About ten minutes. Oddly enough, it’s coming from Senoia too. I have a friend who is a mechanic and he’s getting it towed to the shop he works at. Should be here in about twenty minutes or so.” She made small talk with Rick and Shane, but stayed where she was. Shane kept edging his way closer to her, leaning against her car. Rick stayed where he was, closer to the cruiser, watching Shane. If she’s Daryl’s woman, and he was pretty sure she was, he wasn’t letting Shane touch her. Exactly twenty minutes later, the tow truck pulled to the side in front of Yvonne’s car. T-Dog got out and made his way over to the three waiting for him with a huge smile on his face. He walked right up to Rick and gave him a powerful pat on the back. “Didn’t expect to see you here, man. What are you doing in this neck of the woods?”  
“My partner, Shane, and I, had an overnight drop off at the station here. Just happened to be driving by on our way out and saw Ms. Bradley here on the side of the road and thought we’d stop to help.”  
“Well, alright then. Let’s get this baby loaded up.” T walked over to Yvonne and held his hand out. “It’s good to meet you Yvonne. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you from Daryl. You are just as beautiful as he said you are.”   
She blushed at this. The thought that Daryl had talked about her to his friend made her wonder what this stranger knew about her. “Thank you,” she said and looked over at Shane and Rick. Rick had a smile on his face, but Shane looked pissed for some reason.   
“How about we give you an escort to the garage, T?” Rick said. And T agreed. He helped Yvonne into the cab of the truck and let the cruiser pass him before he pulled out. “What exactly has Daryl said about me?” she asked hesitantly.  
“Just about the same thing over and over again. How beautiful you are, how kind and funny you are. He really likes your boy too. Says a lot of nice things about him. I’ve known Daryl and Rick since high school and we’ve never heard him talk about a woman the way he talks about you.”  
“Rick’s in on this too? If he knew who I was, why did he let that man whore get near me?”  
T laughed at that. “Rick would never have let Shane touch you. Daryl would shoot an arrow in his ass. From what I hear about him, he’s a smooth talker. If he had made you uncomfortable or gotten out of line, Rick would have stopped him. I guarantee that.”  
The rest of the ride was silent. At one point, Rick and Shane veered to the left and T kept going straight. About two blocks later, he turned into the parking lot. He helped me out of the truck and took me to a waiting room, fully stocked with old magazines, vending machines and a television displaying snow. He asked me to wait there while he detached my car and got it inside the garage. While I was waiting for him to come back, my phone buzzed at me telling me I had a text.  
T get there yet? D  
Yes. We just got to the shop. Got to meet Rick and Shane today too. Y  
Good. T will either drive you to work, or you can sit at the shop. He won’t care wither way. Just let me know what you decide. D  
Okay. I’ll text you later. Thanks again. You saved me. Y  
Anything for you. Talk to ya later. D  
T came back into the waiting room and told me he had my car all set up for Daryl to look at it when he got there. He asked me if I needed a ride to work and I told him yes. He loaded me into his pick up and we were off. He told me that Daryl would probably want to pick me up from work, but I should call or text him about it. Because I was two hours late for work, I decided to stay late, also with Daryl taking the time to look at my car tonight and then driving to pick me up, it would be late before I could leave anyway. I text Daryl to tell him I was at work. He text me back and said that he would come get me and take me home. He would call me when he left the garage so I would be ready to go when he got there.  
The day went by very slowly. I guess it always does when you want it to end quickly, but finally it was closing time. It was six o’clock and I was sweeping the floor when my phone rang.   
“Hey darlin’. How are ya?”  
“Tired and ready to go home. How are you?”  
“I’m good. Missed you this weekend.”  
“I missed you too. I’ll fix us some coffee and grab us something to eat on the way to the house, Okay?”  
“Sounds good darlin’. I should be there in about twenty minutes. Not a lot of traffic tonight. I should make good time.”  
“Alright. Just be careful. I’ll see ya soon.”  
“See ya soon. Bye.”  
“Bye Daryl.”  
After we hung up, I quickly finished sweeping and put the coffee on. I grabbed some Danish left from this morning and put them in a bag. When the coffee was ready, I filled two cups and cleaned the machine. Daryl pulled into the parking lot as I was locking the door. He parked and got out, walking over to help me carry my stuff.  
“Let me help. I’ll take the coffee. Don’t want to risk spilling it.”  
“Thanks, you have perfect timing. You’re always there when I need you,” I said feeling a little awkward.  
“I’ve already told you, I’d do anything for you. It’s no burden to be there when you need someone or something,” he said, a little awkward himself. “Looked at your car. Ya got hole in your transmission. T’s gonna order a new one and I’m gonna put it in for you. Might take a week, maybe less, but I’ll take ya to work and pick ya up if ya need it.”  
“Thank you. You don’t have to do that. It’s too much to ask you to drive all that way and then go to work. I can get a ride from Amy or Beth. They don’t live far and they already offered. I’m off tomorrow anyway, so we don’t have to worry about it yet.”  
“I don’t mind. Told ya, it’s no burden. I’d love to be able to do that for ya if ya need me too.”  
“Well, we’ll talk about it. If I can get it covered, then you can do something else for me that I might need.” I realized how that sounded. I turned beet red, but thank God it was too dark for Daryl to see it. “I mean, there might be something more important I’ll need from you.” Shit! I just can’t get this right. I looked over and he was smirking. “I just mean…”  
“I know what you mean, Yvonne. Don’t get flustered.” He laughed lightly at my predicament. “So, what’s in the bag?”  
“We had some Danish left over from this morning. I took some for us. You like Danish?”  
“Yup. Especially the cheese ones. Got any of those in there?”  
“I think they’re all cheese.” Then we pulled into the driveway. “I have to run next door and get Michael. Take my keys and let yourself in. I’ll be back in a minute.” On the days that I had to work, Michael would ride the bus home and stay with his friend, Caleb, who lived next door. When I went to get him, I asked Caleb’s mom if she could take him to school with her for the next few days till I got my car fixed. She was more than happy to do it. He was disappointed that I wouldn’t be taking him, but was happy that I had brought home Danish, and Daryl. When we got inside, Daryl was in the kitchen plating up food for everyone. “Hope ya don’t mind I got into your cabinets. Thought I could have everything ready when you got back.”  
“Thank you. Think I brought enough home? Everyone is starving.”  
“Yeah, ya got plenty. Hey kid, how was school today?”  
“Good,” Michael replied. “Did my homework at Caleb’s house. Can I watch some t.v. tonight?”  
“Sure,” I said. “Just don’t make a mess.” He grabbed a plate ad poured a glass of milk and went into the living room. Daryl and I took our plates and coffee and sat at the table. “You’re coming over for dinner tomorrow night. No excuses. I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. You like lasagna?”  
“Yup, I sure do, and I’d love to have dinner with you.” He paused and looked into his coffee. “I really did miss you this weekend. Didn’t even have enough bars to send you a text. Thought about you a lot.”  
“I missed you too. Thought about you a lot. Did you have a good time? Everybody have fun?”  
“Yup. Took Rick’s son with us too. He’s been trying to get me to teach him how to use my crossbow, but his arms are still too short. Gave the kids some lessons in tracking, showed ‘em how to prepare a rabbit and went on a hike.”  
“Wish I could do that. Sounds like so much fun, even the rabbit part. I would love to learn how to skin and prepare one. Never know when you’re gonna need that kinda knowledge.”  
“I want us to go camping before it gets too cold. Maybe after your family leaves? The weekend after if there’s good weather. Michael can come too, I’m sure he’d love it.”  
I got up to look at the calendar. That would be the same weekend of his field trip. “Well, his class is going on a field trip that weekend. They just happen to be going camping too. It would just be us. I don’t have any equipment, no tent or anything, so I’d have to buy that stuff.”  
“No need for that. I got tents, but I was thinking about taking ya to the cabin. My grandfather had a hunting cabin. Merle and I spent most of our summers there. He left it to us, we share it. There’s a little creek ‘bout a half a mile away, it’s real nice.”  
“That sounds beautiful. I’d love to go camping with you. Thank you, Daryl. Thank you for remembering that I wanted to go camping.”  
“Been trying to plan it since you mentioned it. Was hoping we’d make it long enough for us to go. By the way, Carol invited us to dinner this week, wants ya to bring Michael too. Told her I’d ask when I saw ya.”  
“Sure. What night? You could pick me up from work and we could go.”  
“I’ll call her and find out.” He stood up from the table and took his phone out of his pocket. I put the dishes in the washer and motioned that I was going to check on Michael. When I got back to the kitchen, he was still on the phone. “Is Wednesday okay for you?”  
“Wednesday is great. Tell her thanks for inviting us.” He spent another minute on the phone before hanging up. I was standing by the dishwasher putting Michael’s in when he came up behind me and put his arms around my waist. He took one hand and moved the hair from my neck and buried his lips there. “I want a kiss before I leave,” he whispered against my skin.   
I turned around to face him. “You don’t have to leave. You can get up early and go home.”  
He just ducked his head, “You’re not ready for this. I’m not ready for this. Besides, your son is here. Wouldn’t be right. Just a kiss is good enough for now.” I stood on my tip toes and touched his lips with mine. It was slow, but didn’t last long enough. He held my bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled away. “You’re so fucking amazing. I’ll text you when I get home.” He walked to the door and looked back at me before he walked out.


	13. Chapter 13 The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl spills his guts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Debbie722 for the amazing words. They made me giddy inside. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. It is a short one, but, I think, a good one. It's all Daryl and Merle. So, put on your bunny slippers and relax. It's story time.

Chapter Thirteen

The Talk

Damn! It almost physically hurt to walk away from her. He was hard and struggled to walk to his truck without giving it away. When he got in, he slammed the door in frustration. He sat there for a couple of minutes watching as she turned off all the lights and headed to her bedroom. He wondered what it looked like, if it was girly or not. When his phone rang, he jumped out of his seat. He didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway. And he regretted it.   
“Hey baby brother! Where you at? Called home and you weren’t there.”  
“Had to go to the garage after work. Why the hell you calling me?”  
“I’m in a bit of a bind. Need ya to come bail my ass out.”  
“What the fuck you do Merle?”  
“Nothing big. They calling it assault, but the guy walked away on both legs, so I’m just calling it a misunderstanding. Your buddy Rick brought me in. Want me to tell him his boyfriend says ‘Hi’?   
“Fuck you Merle. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t do nothing until I get there. Just sit still and keep your pie hole shut.”  
Rick met me outside when I got to the station. “Shane had a field day with this. He’s ready to send him off to West Georgia Correctional. Almost beat the shit out of each other before we got Merle handcuffed and in the car.”  
“Great,” Daryl sighed. “What the hell did he do?”  
“Beat the piss out of some poor Asian kid. Merle was drunk or high or both. Kid’s in college and delivers pizzas. Apparently, Merle’s order was wrong.”  
“So what’s gonna happen to him?”  
“He’s being released on bail and is scheduled for court next week. Assault charges, just gotta get the kid to come in and make a statement, if he’s willing. Len and Joe got in some good hits too. They’re back there with Merle, sharing a cell. Be careful going back there. Anyone comes to claim those guys is gonna hafta deal with Shane, he’s still on a rampage.”  
“I can deal with Shane, don’t worry. I hear you met Yvonne today.”  
“Yep. You’re right Daryl. She is a beautiful woman. You’re very lucky.”  
“I think I am too.”  
Rick walked him into the station and to the desk where he would pay Merle’s bail. As he waited for him to be released, he began to worry. He’d half to tell Merle about Yvonne if he was going to agree to go to Carol’s. When Shane escorted Merle through the doors, both their mouths were flapping at each other, trying to outdo the other in volume. Shane handed Merle over to Rick to finish the process and walked up to Daryl slowly.  
“So you’re the famous Daryl Dixon. Heard your name too many times today. You better keep an eye on your brother. Something bad could happen to him if he’s not careful. Oh, and I met another one of your friends today. Best keep an eye on her too. Smart girl like her won’t be around your druggie ass long. Better man’ll come find her.” He didn’t give Daryl a chance to respond, just winked at him and walked away.  
Daryl almost punched him in the fucking face. He couldn’t because he was in the fucking police station. He just grabbed his brother and left. As he passed Rick, he said, “I’ll kill his ass if he even looks at her.” Once in the truck, Merle starts talking, asking what took him so long to get there if he was at the garage.  
“Wasn’t at the garage when you called, dipshit. I had to drive from Woodbury.”  
“How come you there? Making a deal?”  
“Fuck no Merle! Goddamn you know I don’t do that shit!” he paused and thought. “There’s something I need to ask you though and after tonight, you can’t say no.”  
“I’d never say no to you baby brother. You save my ass every time. I owe you,” Merle said quietly.  
“I’m going to Carol’s for dinner Wednesday night, need you to come with.”  
“Aw hell no! You ain’t getting’ me to go over there. She’s crazy!”  
“She ain’t crazy! She’s been through a lot of shit, you know that. She’s a good woman who gave your ass a chance till you fucked up.”  
“I know I did. She ain’t never gonna forgive me neither. That ship has sailed baby brother.”  
“Probably has, but I’m not asking for you. I need you to be there for me.” Daryl paused and carefully contemplated his next words. “Merle, I met somebody and Carol’s gonna help me. She’s gonna help me not fuck this up. She wants to meet her and her son and you’re gonna be there for me. You better not be drunk or high either. I’ll stomp your ass.”  
Merle didn’t say a thing. He just sat there trying to find words. “She’s got a kid, huh. You know that’s a trap Darlina. She’s gonna take your balls and you’ll never get anything in return. But, if you’re okay with that, if that’ll make you happy, then I’ll go. Want to meet the woman that’s gonna take you away from me.”  
“She ain’t gonna take me away Merle,” he said as they pulled up to the trailer. Neither made a move to get out. “You’re my brother. I could never leave you. Don’t ask me to choose either, because I won’t. Need both of ya. Just be my big brother for once and don’t scare her off. I really like her.” They climbed out of the truck and went inside. Daryl went straight to his room and closed the door, leaving Merle in the living room to reflect on the night.


	14. Chapter 14 The Spanish Inquisition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Carol's

Chapter 14  
The Spanish Inquisition

That night, when Daryl got to Yvonne’s house, he was bearing flowers. Just a hodge podge of wildflowers, but they were beautiful. She had just put the lasagna in the oven and was making a salad. Daryl spent the next forty-five minutes playing zombies with Michael and in a show of mercy, let the boy win. Dinner was amazing, Daryl was really starting to get used to this. He’d never had a woman cook for him like this, well, except Carol, but this was different. Speaking of Carol. . . “My brother’s gonna be going with us to Carol’s tomorrow night. Hope you don’t mind.”  
“Of course not. She invited him, right? Are they trying to get back together?”  
“I don’t know. She’s good for him. Only person to ever keep him in line, but he screwed up bad and I don’t know if she’ll take him back,” Daryl said sadly.  
“Tomorrow is gonna be a good night. We’re all gonna have a good time, right Michael?”  
“Yeah, sure,” Michael replied, sounding dejected.  
“She’s got a daughter,” Daryl said. “Her name’s Sophia. She’s real cute. You’ll like her, she’s nice. She’s excited to meet both of ya. Soph’s twelve, but older women are cool. They know stuff.”  
“If you think she’s cute, then, okay. Maybe it won’t be so bad. I just don’t wanna get stuck playing with Barbies or something.”  
“Soph’s an outdoor girl. She’s a tomboy. You’ll have fun.”  
After dinner, Daryl helped Yvonne clean up while Michael finished his homework. When he left, he held her tight and kissed her. “Don’t be nervous about tomorrow night. You’ll do just fine. Everybody will love you,” he said and drove home. Now all he had to do was keep himself calm. Sometimes Merle worried the shit outta him.  
The next night, Daryl and Merle pulled into the café just as Yvonne was walking out the door. Merle, with all the grace of a crack head rhinoceros, jumped out of the truck to let her sit up front with his brother. They stopped to pick up Michael and headed to Carol’s house. The ride was awkwardly quiet at times, but Merle soon filled the silence with his scratchy voice. “I remember seeing ya at the bar that night blondie. You sure did get some looks. If baby brother here hadn’t scooped you up, ole Merle would’ve grabbed ya.”  
“Shut up Merle! Not in front of the kid!” Daryl said, already frustrated.  
“Uh, thank you?” Yvonne said and looked at Daryl, who had an apologetic look on his face. Soon they turned into Carol’s driveway and Daryl helped Yvonne and Michael out of the truck. As they walked to the door, Daryl took her hand in his and tried to give her a reassuring look. He was just as nervous as she was and was hoping to reassure himself as well. As they approached the front steps, the door swung wide open. Sophia bolted out the door and flung herself at Daryl wrapping her arms around his waist. He let go of Yvonne’s hand to wrap his arms around the little girl. “Hey Soph! How ya doing?”  
“I’m glad you came tonight. Ma’s making a real good supper. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a blackberry cobbler for dessert,” the little girl said as she extracted herself from Daryl and looked around at the others for the first time. “Come on in, Mamma’s waiting on you.” Daryl held the door for everyone as they walked in. Carol was standing at the counter putting the finishing touches on the cobbler when she heard the door open a second time, she washed her hands and went to the door to meet her guests. She hugged Yvonne who was first through the door. “So glad you all could make it.” Merle walked in bringing up the rear. How appropriate, Carol thought. “Sophia, why don’t you give Yvonne and Michael the tour, then maybe you and Michael can play for a while until supper is ready.”  
“Okay mamma.” The little girl took them both by the hand and led them around the house. Once they were gone, Merle spoke up, “It’s good to see ya Carol. How’ve ya been?” Daryl felt uncomfortable just watching this exchange, so he left the room in search of Yvonne and the kids. He found Yvonne coming out of Sophia’s room. “I think he likes her,” she said in a whisper. “He actually wants to play with her. They’ve been making each other laugh. I’m really glad we came here.”  
“Yeah, me too,” Daryl said and put his arms around her waist. “Merle and Carol are having awkward conversation in the kitchen. I had to leave. Nobody should see that,” he said and smiled.  
“I think it’s good that she was willing to invite him and that he was willing to come. Maybe she’d give him another chance. She seems to be a good woman, she’d be a good influence on him.”  
“Merle wouldn’t know a good influence if it pitched a tent in his ass. Maybe you’re right though. I think he still loves her. He just doesn’t know how to show her. He’s afraid she won’t forgive him and he’ll lose her forever.”  
“All he has to do is be honest with her. I don’t know what he did, but if they’re supposed to be together, they’ll be together. Let’s go see if we can help with dinner.”  
When they reached the kitchen, Merle and Carol had their backs to them, his arm around her shoulders. Daryl cleared his throat to get their attention. Merle’s arm dropped suddenly and he turned to face them. “Hey brother. Where the kids?”  
“Playing in Sophia’s room,” Yvonne said and walked over to Carol. “Need help with anything?”  
“Merle, why don’t you and Daryl go into the living room, watch t.v. or talk. Yvonne’s gonna help me set the table,” Carol replied. As soon as the men were gone, she handed Yvonne a stack of plates with utensils on top. Nothing was said for a while, until Yvonne spoke up. “So, how long have you known Daryl and Merle?”  
“Ten years now. Merle and I were together for half of that. Daryl’s like a brother to me. It’s nice to see him happy. He and Merle have never been really happy. Daryl isn’t like Merle though, he wants to be happy even though he doesn’t believe it will happen. He’s never had a lot of people in his life. He’s always had Rick and T-Dog, and Merle, but Merle hasn’t always been there for him like he should have. He left Daryl alone a lot when he was growing up. I’m really glad Daryl met you. You’re making him happy.”  
“Well, Daryl makes me happy too. Never known a man like him before. Plenty of men who tried to convince me they were like him. He seems so honest, so genuine, and almost innocent. Maybe insecure at times, but full of confidence at others. Is he really like that? Is he really who he says he is?”  
Carol walked over to her and put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “He sure is,” she said. “The most honest man I’ve ever known. He’d never hurt you, or your son. He’s been through that, he’d protect both of you from anything. He’s head over heels for you. If there’s anything that you need to tell him, anything he needs to know, don’t be afraid. He’s got a lot he’s still dealing with himself. He and Merle saved mine and Sophia’s lives.” She continued talking as she took a seat at the table. “Sophia’s father was an evil bastard. He beat me almost every day after we got married. When Sophia was born, it just got worse. He resented her and the time that she took away from him. When she would cry, he would punish me. I met Daryl one day at the diner after a particularly bad episode. Together with Rick’s help, he and Merle got me and Sophia out of that house, put Ed in jail for a while. He was killed not too long after he got out. Those men helped me get a job, find a home and Daryl is still helping me when he can. He’ll help you if you need him to.”  
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. No woman deserves that. I saw it myself with my own mamma. I was so lucky Michael’s daddy never touched me like that. But, I have to admit, between him and my dad, my views of myself and men are kinda screwed. I guess I’m just having a hard time believing that all this is real. I’m having a hard time believing that a man like Daryl could like me or want me for more than the time it’s gonna take for him to get off. I haven’t been attracted to anyone for a very long time and I just can’t imagine him feeling the same way about me. No one has ever loved me as much as I loved them.”  
Carol patted her hand. “You don’t have to worry about that. Daryl does love you. He’s never loved anyone in his life. He’s never had the patience to be around a woman before. You’ve got that man tied in knots. He’s scared to death of losing you, or hurting you. Ya’ll are scared of the same thing. Sweetheart, you should talk to him. He’s been there for me and Soph since we met. He won’t leave you or run away from you. You just got to have a little faith in him.”  
We finished setting the table and got everyone seated. We were all talking and laughing and having a good time. Each time I looked up from my plate, Daryl was looking at me, smiling. Carol and Merle were even joking around with each other. The kids were talking about some video game they wanted to play. When everyone was finished, I asked Carol if she needed help with the cleanup. “No honey. You’ve already helped. It’s someone else’s turn.” She took a plate in one hand and grabbed Merle with the other. As she walked away, she turned her head back to us and said, “Why don’t you go out on the back porch and smoke. Clean up won’t take long.”  
Daryl took my hand and led me through the house to the back door. The temperature had dropped a bit and I was shivering. He took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. He took out his pack and lit two cigarettes, handing one to me. “I’m glad you and Carol are getting along. She’s one of my best friends.”  
“Yeah, she speaks very highly of you. If I didn’t know better, I’d think the two of you were more than friends.”  
“Nah. Never saw her like that. Besides, she and Merle love each other, they just don’t see it. You have a good time tonight?”  
“A great time. Your brother’s not as bad as I thought he’d be. He’s been almost a perfect gentleman.”  
“He’s like that around Carol. Around anyone else, he’s an ass.” Just then, Michael and Sophia came out to let us know that it was cobbler time. Dessert was just as pleasant as dinner and soon it was time to leave. Daryl dropped Merle at the trailer first because he didn’t want to go on a “long ass ride to Bumfuck”, even though he lived in Bumfuck too. Michael dozed in the backseat all the way home. When we got there, Daryl carried him to his bedroom and I tucked him in. Daryl gave me as sweet peck on the cheek as he was leaving. His cell phone chimed as he turned away from me. “It’s Carol, she just wanted to make sure everybody had a good time.”  
“We did. Thank her again for us. She’ll have to come here for dinner one night.”  
“I’ll tell her. Good night Yvonne. Sleep well sweetheart.”  
“Good night Daryl. You too.”


	15. Chapter 15 The In-Laws are Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne and Michael have visitors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shout out to my biggest supporter Debbief722! Your continued support is what has kept me going the last few days. I had hoped to get this up for you earlier, but I had stuff, thangs. I will try to post another chapter tomorrow to make up for that. Also a big thanks to c_forbes for the kudos. All ya'll rock! I was having difficulties with this chapter, but now it has gotten so out of hand, it will be broken up into 3 separate chapters. I have to adjust my outline, but it was worth it. By the by, my current outline has 25 chapters so far. Now, without further ado, it's story time my loverlys.

Chapter 15  
The In-Laws are Coming

Yvonne had been stressing and freaking out the last day and a half. It was now Friday afternoon and Helen and Paul would be here any minute. When they arrive, Yvonne was taking them with her to pick up Michael from school. She was dreading this. She and Helen had never really liked each other. Yvonne clearly remembered the day they met. She and David had only been dating for a couple of months and he was taking her to meet them at a restaurant near their house in Columbia, Tennessee. When Helen learned that she and Yvonne both had a bachelor degree in English she was excited. That meant that they were just alike, right? Well, no, and Helen quickly realized that. Yvonne wasn’t a shopper. She didn’t have a lot of knick-knacks on her shelves. She didn’t have decorative towels in the bathroom and sure as hell didn’t wear Alfred Dunner pantsuits. She was nothing but a big disappointment. They had always been civil to each other, but David had told her all the nasty things his mother had said about her.  
When they pulled into the driveway, Yvonne plastered on her fake smile and went outside to meet them. “Oh honey! It’s so good to see you!” Helen said excitedly and gave Yvonne a big hug. “Have you lost weight sweetheart?”  
“No, I haven’t, but thanks for asking. Hello Paul, how are you? How was the trip?”  
“Just fine honey.” He said and came around the truck to give her a hug. She and Paul always got along. He had been raised the same as her and her mother, so they had a lot more in common. “Come on everybody, grab some bags so we can get the truck cleared out and go get that boy.” Once they had all the bags inside, they left to go to the school. Yvonne had not missed this, the third degree. Helen needed to know everything about her life to everything about her friend’s lives. She even started in on her job. “Are you still working at that diner?” Helen asked her.  
“Technically it’s a café, and yes, I am. It’s a great job. I get paid well enough to support Michael and myself and I get a lot of exercise running around during the rushes. My co-workers are amazing and the customers are nice and friendly. I have no complaints about my job.”  
“I know honey, but don’t you want something more for yourself? Think about Michael.”  
I’m going to bitch slap that woman! “I think about Michael every day. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be working at all. I’d be on the couch in my robe watching television every day. Everything I do, I do for him. I don’t do anything for myself. Maybe when I’m retired, like you, I can be selfish.” Helen’s mouth was hanging open. She remained silent the rest of the way to the school.  
Michael was so excited to meet his grandparents. He talked the rest of the way home. He told them about his day and what he had been doing at the school, when they got home, Paul announced that he would be taking them all out for a special dinner. Everyone took their turns in the shower and got dressed. When they were on the way to the restaurant, Michael innocently asked if Daryl was meeting them there. Yvonne was struck dumb. She wasn’t going to tell her in-laws about him, not in any way, shape or form. “Who is Daryl?” Helen asked.  
“He’s a friend of mommy’s. He’s fixing our car.” Michael answered.  
“Well, I haven’t heard of him, Yvonne. Where did you meet him?”  
“I met him that last weekend I spent with Kay in Senoia. He has a friend who owns a garage and Daryl helps him out when he has the time. He had the car towed there when it broke down Monday morning. He has been working on it after he gets off work almost every day. He’s supposed to call me when it’s ready.”  
“Are you two dating?” Helen asked.  
“I don’t know. We’ve had dinners and lunches together, but I wouldn’t say we’re a couple. We’re just friends, that’s all. Don’t worry Helen, I haven’t forgotten about David.”   
Dinner was pleasant. Michael, Helen and Paul carried the conversation. Yvonne just zoned out, dreading the rest of the night and the next day. She hadn’t felt this empty and depressed since she was married. David was so much like his mother, both of them could make her feel like shit with just one word or look. She was just frozen, falling into herself. She wanted to talk to Daryl, she wanted to see him. When they finally got home, it was time for Michael to go to bed, Helen and Paul soon followed. Yvonne debated calling or texting Daryl wondering if it was too late at night when her phone vibrated in her hand. Speak of the devil.  
-Are you awake? D  
-Yes. How are you? Y  
-Tired. Finished ur car 2day. D  
-That’s wonderful! The best news I’ve had all day! Y   
-Glad I could make your day. How’s things with your parents? D  
-I’m a nervous wreck. She always does this to me. We do our family thing tomorrow, then they leave Sunday. Y  
-Can I call you? D  
-Sure! Y  
Two minutes later, the phone vibrated and Daryl’s handsome face appeared on her screen. “Hello,” she said, barley above a whisper.   
“Hello,” he said back. “Why does she make you nervous? What does she do?”  
“Typical, obnoxious, motherly, you aren’t good enough and should me more like me things.” Yvonne said sadly. “The real problem is that they aren’t even my parents.”  
“I thought Michael said his grandparents were coming to town?” Daryl asked, confused.  
“They are his biological grandparents, just not my parents.” She said. Fearing she had said too much, she remained quiet, waiting for a reply.  
“His father’s parents?” He asked again, although he kind of figured that out.  
“Yeah. He sees them about once a month. We usually drive halfway and meet them, although sometimes I’ll go all the way to their house or vice versa. I only see them in passing and I’m not use to being around her for this long. I’ve forgotten how bad she can get.”  
“If ya want to talk about it, I’d love to listen; I mean, you can tell me anything.”  
“Thank you Daryl. I will, someday, but not right now. Just let me survive the weekend and we’ll see. I may need you to rescue me though, bring your crossbow and scare her a little?” she said, laughing.  
“If you want that, then I’ll do it. I can’t give a shit about anyone who would make you feel like dirt. She’s just ignorant, Yvonne. Try to ignore it if you can. How about we spend the day together Sunday after they leave? You and Michael come to Senoia. We’ll find something fun to do, maybe a pic-nic or something? Maybe I can teach Michael how to fish?”  
“That sounds great Daryl, You really don’t have to do so much for me and him. But I appreciate it all.”  
“I haven’t done that much, just try to be a good friend. You‘ve been good to me too. Never had somebody like you. Just want you to know how much it means to me. How about I bring your car over tomorrow? I’ll get Rick or T to follow me so I’ll have a ride home. You let me know when you’re gonna be there. Maybe I can put the fear of God in her.” He chuckled.  
“If she saw you with a sheriff’s deputy or a giant black man following you, I think that would do the trick. Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow after we get home. It was nice to hear your voice.”  
“It’s always nice to hear yours too darlin’. Get some sleep and have nice dreams.”  
“You too Daryl. Goodnight.”  
“Goodnight, darlin’.”


	16. Chapter 16  They're still heere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shit hits the fan-Daryl to the rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you Debbief722! I just love reading your comments. They make my day brighter! Cuddle up snugglekins, it's story time.

Chapter 16  
They’re still heere

The next morning came too soon. I did not want to get out of bed. When the smell of bacon made its way to my room, I was able to find the strength to crawl out of bed. The kitchen was alive with activity. Helen was making breakfast and Michael was assisting, while Paul was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. “Good morning everyone. It smell so good in here.”  
“Thank you honey. Good morning to you too. I thought I’d make some food since Michael was up. Hope you don’t mind.” Helen said.  
“Not at all. Nice to know I don’t have to feed the pit this morning.” I said, looking at Michael.  
“Not funny mom.” He replied.  
Paul looked up from his paper and said, “Thought after we eat, we’d get ready to go. We can stop and buy flowers then head to the cemetery.”  
“Sounds good,” I said. “On our way back we can stop and have lunch somewhere.”  
Two hours later, everyone was fed, clean and dressed. After buying flowers at the shop in town, they headed to Woodlawn Cemetery. She hardly ever came here anymore. It was only for Michael’s benefit now; she was over it. As soon as the truck stopped, Helen began to cry. My first instinct was to tell her to grow up and get over it, but I knew better than that. I would lose my mind if I ever lost Michael. No one spoke as we walked toward David’s final resting place. I spent fifteen years married to this man. It had been wonderful in the beginning. He made me feel good about myself for the first time in my life. It didn’t take long, however, to realize that all his beautiful words were lies.  
Helen and Paul stood on either side of Michael in front of the grave marker, while Yvonne stood behind them. They just stood there in silence for a while before Helen walked forward and placed the flowers in the vase at the head of the grave. Paul walked forward and put his arm around his wife, both of them weeping silently. Michael walked back to his mom and put his arm around her waist. To her surprise, her eyes began to fill with tears. It had been so long since she had cried over David, it had been long before he died. But today she was realizing where she was emotionally. She didn’t miss David anymore, she had stopped loving him a long time ago. She had fallen for his charm and his persuasive words. She had believed everything he told her because she thought it felt right. She had married him out of shear desperation. He was her only hope of not being alone for the rest of her life. She ended up feeling more alone than she thought was possible. She thought about Daryl and began to wonder if she was headed down that path again. The thought made her nauseous. She would never allow a man to trap her like that again, even if it was Daryl Dixon. She had lived with emotional pain and hurt her whole life. She would do whatever she had to do to keep that from happening again.  
Helen and Paul remained quiet on the ride when they left the cemetery. Only Michael’s voice could be heard, trying to influence them to where they would be having lunch. Yvonne was as emotionally drained as her in-laws, but for a different reason. They were mourning their son, she was mourning the life she could have had without him. She couldn’t honestly say that she totally regretted her marriage, it had given her Michael, but she always wished it could have been a more satisfying relationship. That he could have loved her like she wanted to be loved, that he could have been in love with her. When they finally made it back home after lunch, Yvonne was just about to call Daryl when Helen approached her and asked if they could talk.  
“You know how much David loved you Yvonne” Helen began.  
“No. I honestly don’t. He said it to me every day, but I couldn’t believe it. Words mean nothing Helen. It’s easy to deceive with words. Proof lies in action. He. Had. None.  
“He wouldn’t have stayed with you if he didn’t love you. You two were so different. Looking back now, I don’t understand why he was so attracted to you”  
“I don’t know either to be honest. He would never tell me. He never told me anything. I didn’t know how he felt about me, I don’t know what he liked or didn’t like about me. I don’t know anything. He wouldn’t talk to me. Hell, he wouldn’t kiss me at all and he only touched me when he wanted to fuck me. It’s as if we became roommates instead of husband and wife. Did you know that we slept in separate beds for the last three years of our marriage? What I do know is that he never respected me, because I didn’t earn it. I was needy and clingy and always begging for attention. I was lazy and had no motivation or ambition. I wasn’t good enough for him, or you. He told me I needed to be more like him, but I wouldn’t damn myself like that. I am over him and I refuse to be treated like that anymore!” Yvonne stomped away to her bedroom and called Daryl.  
By the time he answered the phone, she was hysterical. She couldn’t breathe, much less make a coherent sentence. Daryl just told her he would bring the car and be there as soon as he possibly could. She was scaring him to death. He called Rick and asked if he could get an official escort to Woodbury. Twenty-four minutes later, Yvonne’s Sonata came barreling into her driveway followed by a Senoia sheriff’s squad car with lights and sirens blaring. The sound drove Helen, Paul and Michael out of the house. Michael ran to Daryl and jumped into his arms.   
How’s your momma, kid? Where is she?” Daryl asked, very impatient and agitated.  
“She’s in her room. She and grandma had a fight.”  
Helen demanded to know what was going on and who the hell Daryl was. He paid her no mind as he carried Michael through the front door. Rick attempted to calm the older woman, but she was too worked up. He couldn’t get a word in edgewise.  
“Ma’am, if you would just calm down, I would be happy to explain the situation to you and your husband. The gentleman I escorted here is Daryl Dixon, he is a friend of your daughter-in-law, as am I. He was returning her car to her and requested an official sheriff’s escort when he receive a very disturbing phone call from Ms. Bradley and he was afraid that she was hurt or in danger. Now, unless there has been an incident involving violence, there is nothing to worry about. We’ll just let Daryl check on Yvonne and make sure she is okay and give him time to calm down and we’ll be out of your hair.” Rick said in his calming, police officer voice.  
“Why would she be upset?” Paul asked. “Nothing’s happened today. We went to the cemetery and had lunch, then came home. We haven’t even been back a full hour yet. What the hell could have happened? Helen, do you know?” She just stood there looking at the ground. No one saw her face. She mumbled a “no” at the question and moved to sit on the porch steps.  
Daryl had burst through the front door with Michael in his arms, but quickly put him down and asked here Yvonne’s room was. He lightly knocked on her bedroom door when he found it and could hear her still crying on the other side. She didn’t acknowledge the knock, so he slowly opened the door and announced himself. When he crossed the threshold of her bedroom, she was sitting on her bed, Indian style, with her head in her hands. She did not look up at him as he moved across the room and sat in front of her on the bed. “Yvonne, baby, please stop crying. Tell me what she did. Rick’s here with me. He brought his badge and the squad car and I’ve got my bow in the backseat of your car if I need it. Just, please, baby, don’t cry.” He leaned forward and put his arms around her and rubbed his hands up and down her back. Her head, still in her hands, rested upon his chest. She was sobbing uncontrollably and began to hiccup loudly. “Let me go get you a glass of water. I’ll be right back.”  
“No! Please don’t leave. Let Michael get it.” He yelled for the kid to bring water and he did. Before he left the room, Michael put his arms around his mother’s neck and said,” I love you mom. I don’t know why she says those things to you, but I’m gonna tell her to stop.” Then he climbed off Yvonne and closed the door behind him. Daryl held Yvonne for a few more minutes until the sobbing stopped. He let go of her and she looked up at him. Her face and eyes were red, wet and swollen from her tears. She was still beautiful though, even now. He was so angry, but seeing her cry like this only brought his love to the forefront of his mind.  
“I can’t stand seeing you like this baby. Please tell me what happened.” He begged her.  
“I exploded all over her.” Yvonne said quietly, trying not to let the tears come again. “She just kept saying these horrible things to me about how David felt about me and giving her opinion of our marriage. It’s such a long story, there’s so much to tell. I don’t think I could go through it again, not now. I promise you Daryl, I will tell you all about it. But I can’t when she’s still here. I can’t fight with her again, not today; I don’t have the strength. I will tell you this, I was married to her son, David for fifteen years; he’s Michael’s father. David was full of hate and arrogance. He had little patience for people he felt were beneath him. He got that from his mother.” When Yvonne stopped talking, Daryl put his fingers on her chin and pulled her face up to meet his. He leaned forward and kissed her gently. “I’m not gonna let you get hurt again. You mean too much to me and I’ll never let you be around her without me ever again. I care about you so much and I’m gonna protect you.” They just looked at each other and Yvonne could see the emotion and honesty in his eyes. He would be crying too if he wasn’t such a strong man, she thought. Daryl saw the gratefulness in her eyes, almost as if she had never heard those words from a man before. From what he had just learned, she probably hadn’t.


	17. Chapter 17 The In-Laws are Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is comfort here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for all the kudos! Thank you to the subscribers and those who leave amazing comments! I love you all! This is a super long one. I may post another chapter before Christmas, but I can't promise that. Merry Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah or Kwanza, or whatever you celebrate.

Chapter 17  
The In-Laws are Going

“Baby, I need to go outside. Rick’s there and I need to find out what’s going on. You stay here, I’ll be back.” Daryl said and kissed her. When he walked out the front door, all eyes went to him. Helen was still sitting on the porch, her head in her hands. Rick and Paul were standing by the squad car talking. Daryl walked down the steps, not acknowledging the woman sitting there, best he didn’t.  
“How’s she doing Daryl?” Rick asked.  
“She’s a fuckin’ basket case! Michael said that she and his grandmother were having a fight. She’s hysterical, but I got her calmed down a little.” He turned to face Paul. “I don’t know you, or your wife, but I do know what she said to Yvonne. I know what she thinks of her and how she treats her. Yvonne doesn’t deserve that and the thought of you lettin’ that woman do that to her makes me fuckin’ sick! I have no say in what she decides to do, but if I did, I’d tell her to kick ya’ll the hell out and never see either of ya again!” Daryl was getting a little hysterical himself.  
Paul paused a moment before he replied to Daryl “I love that girl in there. She’s like my own daughter. I know she’s been treated badly, and by more than just my wife. I can’t excuse what she said or did, but I can tell you this son, she and Yvonne will never see each other again, I will make sure of that. Regardless of what’s happened, I know she would never deny us access to Michael. I will take over communication with them both, we’re leaving in a bit to go back home, Helen doesn’t know that yet. Daryl, she’s been like that since I’ve known her. I’m still surprised that she was willing to marry a man like me. I grew up in a shack in the mountains; had nothing to my name when we married. She’s always had this delusion about how things are supposed to be and when they are not to her liking, she throws disappointment everywhere. I’d like to speak to Yvonne before we go. Would that be alright Daryl?”  
“Yeah, sure. And I agree, those two should never have been left alone together. I really like Yvonne and seeing her like this is just ripping me apart.” Daryl said.  
“I know son. I can see how much you care about her, and I can see that Michael adores you. My son wasn’t meant to be a family man. She wasted many years hoping he would change because he loved them and wanted to be a better man for them, but he was too much like his mother. Take care of her Daryl, please. I love her too.” Paul then patted Daryl on the shoulder as he walked toward the house.  
“What the hell happened Daryl?” Rick asked.  
“Said that woman was saying God awful shit to her. Stuff about her, her marriage. Told me that woman never approved of her, made her feel like shit. Said their son did the same thing. Rick, I’m ‘bout to explode. I’ve never felt like this. She was breakin’ my fuckin’ heart. I wanna kill that woman and I’d kill her son if he wasn’t already dead.”  
“Why don’t you stay with her tonight? She needs you, and you need to be here. I can see it in your eyes, you’re not leaving her here by herself. You love her Daryl. Have you told her yet?”  
“No. Don’t know how to. What if she don’t love me back?”  
“I guarantee she loves you back. After tonight, we can all see how much you love her, I bet she can see it too. You don’t have to do it tonight, neither of you could handle a confession like that right now. Just stay with her, make her feel safe.”  
When Paul got to the front porch steps, he stopped and stood in front of Helen. “You don’t have to tell me what happened, I already know. I’m going to go inside and talk to Yvonne, make sure she’s alright. I’m also going to pack our bags; we’re going back home today. You are gonna stay exactly where you are. You are not going inside this house and you are not going to see or talk to her again.” Helen just nodded her head and didn’t day a work Paul knocked softly when he reached her bedroom door. “Honey, its Paul. Can I come in for a minute, I got something I need to say to you.”  
“Yeah Paul. Come on in.”  
He walked across the room and sat on the bench at her vanity. “I’m so sorry for what she said to you. It doesn’t surprise me, though I wished it did. You’ve got to believe that I love you and Michael. I don’t feel like Helen does. You don’t deserve what my family has given you. I promise that you will never see or hear from her again, I will make sure of that. I just hope that you’ll see fit to continue to let us see Michael. I’ll make all the arrangements and pick him up. Yvonne, I love you like you were my own. This breaks my heart. That young man out there cares for you deeply. Let him take care of you. He needs to do it and you need him to do it. He’s the man you deserve sweetheart. Move on with your life.”  
“I love you too Paul,” Yvonne said, but she couldn’t look at him. “I always wanted to call you dad, but never did. Helen wanted me to call her mom, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to cause conflict. I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into when I married David. He was the man of my dreams, until he wasn’t.”  
“I know honey. None of that is your fault. I hope that you and I can still keep in touch. I will meet you to drop off and pick up Michael, she will not come with me,” he paused for a moment. “Well, I better grab our things, so we can get outta here. If we leave now, we’ll be home before the sun sets.” Paul stood and embraced Yvonne, holding her in his arms for a while before he walked out the door. As he carried the luggage to the truck, he stopped to speak to Rick and Daryl one last time. “Thank you officer. You were able to stun my wife speechless, and I have never seen that happen before. I think we all appreciate that. Daryl, those two are your responsibility now, if you accept that. Take care of them both. Give Yvonne what she deserves, Michael too. It’s obvious he looks to you. Take care of yourselves, and again, I am truly sorry for the pain my family has caused that beautiful woman.” He put the bags in the bed of the truck and drove off.  
Rick left and Daryl went into the house. He went to check on Michael first, who was playing video games in the living room. “Hey buddy. How ya doing?”  
“I’m okay, now that she’s gone. Mom always tries to keep it together when she’s around, but I knew she’d break one day.”  
“Your momma’s gonna be fine. I’ll make sure of that. I was thinking about ordering pizza for us, you interested?”  
“Heck yeah!” Michael exclaimed. “Are you gonna stay with momma tonight?”  
“If she wants me to; I just want her to feel safe. If she don’t want me to, then I ain’t. Don’t want her to feel uncomfortable or stress her out any more than she already is. She’s in charge tonight and I’m gonna need your help taking care of her. Can ya do that?”  
“Sure. I’d do anything for mom. It’s been hard for her since dad died. She’s never been good at handling stress; she cries a lot. And I never make it easy for her. Maybe she’d like a nice, hot bath. She always says she wants one, but never has one.”  
“I’ll go ask her if that’s what she wants and tell her about the pizza. I’ll be back. Save a game for me.” He patted Michael on the shoulder and went to check on Yvonne. The door was partially open, so he peeked in. The room was empty. Then he heard the bathroom door close. He turned around and saw her walking toward him. He put his arms around her waist and held her close. “I’m gonna order pizza for us, if that’s okay. Don’t want ya to worry about feeding anybody. Michael thought ya might like a hot, relaxing bath. I’ll run it for ya if ya do.”  
“He is the most wonderful little boy in the world. I am so blessed to have him. And I thank God that he isn’t like his dad. I’m blessed to have you too, Daryl. Wouldn’t have survived today without you.”  
“Don’t know about that; you’re a strong woman. You’ve had to deal with her and her son for a long time, and you still have the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. But I’m glad I was here. Can’t stand the thought of you havin’ to deal with her by yourself. I’m here for you anytime you need me. An-y-time. I mean it; I’ll come running’ or drivin’, whichever gets me to you faster. I told ya already, I aint’ gonna let you get hurt again.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m gonna go order the pizza and then I’ll run your bath. Go ahead and get out what ya gonna want for it. I’ll be back.” After he ordered the pizza, he started running water in the tub. She had some smelly stuff and a jar of little rocks setting on the edge of the basin. He made sure the temperature was perfect before he started pouring the smelly stuff in. The bottle said vanilla almond, but it could’ve said heaven and he would have been just as turned on. He imagined lying next to Yvonne in her bed, naked and wrapped around each other, breathing in this wonderful scent on her soft skin. He just shook the thought out of his head as he added the small rocks to the water. Tonight was definitely not the night to be thinking about taking her and making her his. When the tub was full, he went to get her. “Bath is ready. I need ya to just sit and soak till you’re a prune. I’ll let you know when the pizza gets here, but if you’re not finished, that’s okay. I just want you to relax, alright?”  
“Got it. If you insist. Thank you. Someday, I’m gonna get the chance to pay you back for all this niceness.”  
“No need. Just be a prune. If you need anything, just yell. Michael and I are gonna play video games till the pizza gets here.” Yvonne must have been in that bath for a good thirty to forty-five minutes. She was beyond pruned; Daryl would be happy, she thought. He had knocked on the door about ten minutes ago to tell her the food was here. She got out of the tub, dried off and wrapped herself in a towel. Quickly walking to her room, she shut the door and put on a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. By the time she got to the kitchen, Michael and Daryl were already chowing down. There was a plate on the table between them with two slices and a beer sitting next to it. Before she sat down, she waved her pruned fingers in Daryl’s face. “Good enough, sir?”  
“Just perfect. Got ya a beer, thought ya might need it. How do you feel?”  
“Much better, but more tired. I think I relieved too much stress,” she laughed.   
“It’s good to see ya smiling,” Daryl said. He and Michael continued talking. Michael was telling him about the class camping trip next weekend. “Maybe next spring, when it starts warming up, I’ll take ya hunting with me; if it’s okay with your mamma.” They both looked at Yvonne waiting for a response. Her eyes went back and forth between them, then she smiled and nodded her head ‘yes’. “Thanks mom!” Michael said and stood up to hug her. “Yeah, you’ll be thanking me when you have to skin and gut a deer.”  
“What?” Michael said, sounding surprised.  
“That’s what hunters do, right Daryl?”  
“Yes ma’am.” Daryl replied with a smirk on his lips. “Gonna show ya how to do it right, Then we’ll make your momma cook it up.” Michael had a disgusted look on his face. “Can I call Caleb?” he asked, changing the subject.  
“Sure,” Yvonne said, “one hour till you go to bed. Make the most of it.” He ran to his room and closed the door. Yvonne and Daryl cleaned up and put the rest of the pizza in the refrigerator. “Hey, what happened to Rick? He went home, right?”  
“Yeah. After your in-laws left.”  
“So you don’t have a way home, huh?”  
“No. Kinda thought I might stay here tonight, to keep ya safe. I can call a cab if ya don’t want me to,” he said, half scared she was gonna hand him a phone book.  
“I’d love it if you stayed. I wanted to ask ya to, but I was too scared.”  
“Why would ya be scared? You don’t ever have to be afraid of me. I’ve told ya before, I’d do anything for you.”  
“I know, but I don’t want to push my luck. I thought maybe you’d think I was too needy or not strong enough to stay by myself. David always said. . .”  
“Fuck David!” Daryl said suddenly. “He had to have been one of the dumbest motherfuckers to ever walk this planet. No offense, but if I’d have been around when ya’ll was married, I woulda beat the shit outta him. You’re not needy, you’re the strongest woman I know. Done told you that once. You’re not what he said you are. You not what she says you are. You’re the most beautiful, kind, thoughtful, smart, funny woman I’ve ever known. Damn anybody who says different.” He grabbed his jacket off the chair and stormed out onto the back porch. Yvonne didn’t know what to do at first, then she grabbed her smokes and went outside. Daryl was sitting in one of the lawn chairs, puffing away. She sat on the ground in front him and lit a cigarette. She laid her head in his lap. “Do you mean it? Do you mean all of it?” she said, eyes glistening with tears.  
“Yes, baby,” he said and lifted her head to look at him. “I never known a woman like you. Never been treated as good by anybody till you. Never felt this way about anybody till you” He lifted her up to him and she straddled his lap. He held the back of her neck and drew her toward him. Their lips met softly, meekly, but soon the kiss became passionate. They both left their smoke forgotten on the ground as her hands went to his shoulder, arms and chest; his hands on her back, ass and thighs. Soon they parted, breathless just looking into each other’s eyes, He wanted to say the words, but they were stuck in his head. He currently did not have the capacity for speech. “I need to check and make sure Michael’s getting ready for bed.” Daryl just nodded his head and helped her stand. As they walked through the door, they were holding hands.   
When Yvonne came out of Michael’s room, she told Daryl that he wanted to say good night to him. “Is momma letting you stay?” he said as soon as Daryl walked in. “Yeah, I’m staying. Told ya, I’m gonna make sure your momma is alright. Gonna make sure she’s happy.”  
“I think you already make her happy. I haven’t seen or heard her cry since she met you. Until today, but that wasn’t ‘cause of you.”  
“I know bud. Get some sleep. See ya in the morning.”  
All the lights were off inside the house, except for Yvonne’s room. He quietly walked to her door and slowly pushed it open; she was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair. She had beautiful hair. It went halfway down her back and looked as soft as silk. He walked up behind her and took the brush from her hand. He sat on the bench behind her and began brushing her luxurious hair. She looked at him through the mirror. He was being so gentle, she could barely feel the brush run through her hair His eyes were dark and he scooted closer to her. He laid the brush on the vanity and put his arms around her waist, laying his forehead on her shoulder. He could feel that soft, silky hair against his cheek. He had never been this content in his life. He could stay here with her forever. She reached behind her and locked her fingers behind his neck. His hands moved up her stomach to cup her breasts, kneading them with his large hands. He sighed in her ear and she moaned her approval. He, involuntarily, began moving his hips against her backside, her hands rubbing the back of his neck and running through his long hair. His mind was in a fog. He hardly realized what was going on, her moans spurring him on. He began kissing and licking her neck, losing himself in her. He could smell the vanilla almond heaven on her skin. When she let out a long, slow, deep moan, it brought him back to his senses. He groaned into her skin. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Shouldn’t have done that. You’re not ready.”  
She turned her body to face him. “Are you?” she asked quietly.  
“Not if you ain’t. Don’t need to be thinking about that right now anyways.” He brushed his thumbs against her cheek. “You’ve had a tough day. You need to sleep.”  
“Will you stay in here with me?” she asked tentatively.  
“If that’s what you want.” They stood and walked to opposite sides of the bed. Yvonne pulled back the covers and climbed in. Daryl was a little nervous, but fought his way through it. He took off his pants, leaving his t-shirt on and climbed into bed next to her. He pulled her to him, her head on his chest. He reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. Soon, they were asleep in each other’s arms.


	18. Chapter 18 You Don't Touch Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets a day off and he and Yvonne both pay for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the kudos. Ya'll Rock! I hope you got my message Debbief722. Much love to you! Warning: Homophobic slur, but what else would you expect from yer ole pal Merle.

Chapter 18  
You Don’t Touch Her

It was Tuesday morning and Daryl still couldn’t stop thinking about it. Waking up with Yvonne wrapped around him. It had been awkward for sure. He thought he was dreaming at first, she was lying so still in his arms and he was just holding her. He could feel the heat of her breath on his chest. He felt her eyelids flutter open and she looked up at him. She was beautiful in the morning, a sexy, sleepy smile and half-lidded eyes. “Good morning.” She said with a strained voice.  
“Good morning, darlin’. How’d you sleep?”  
“Great. Much better than I thought I would. I should go make breakfast. Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll get Michael up.” She went all out this morning, it was a special occasion to her. She made scrambled eggs, bacon, homemade biscuits with gravy and hash browns. She barely got some for herself before it was all gone. Daryl suggested they take the car back to Senoia and then have a pic-nic for lunch and maybe do some fishing. He called the diner where Carol worked before they left and put in a lunch order for their pic-nic. They all had so much fun and Michael caught a fish all on his own. He could get used to this, Daryl thought to himself. He’d never had moments like this when he was growing up, or as an adult either. Didn’t know he’d wanted it so much.  
So, here it was, two days later and it was still running through his mind. Merle could tell he wasn’t mentally there this morning. Figured it had something to do with that woman he fancied. He needed a favor from his baby brother and felt guilty about it. He wouldn’t even think of involving him in this mess, but Joe wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. The best way to get Daryl to agree to something was to make him feel obligated, so Merle came up with a plan, “Hey there baby brother. What’s up? You seem a little lost.”  
“Just can’t concentrate today. Got a lot on my mind.” He replied.  
“Wouldn’t have anything to do with that blonde you’re nailing does it?” Merle laughed and slapped his brother on the back.  
“I’m not nailing her Merle. She ain’t’ ready for that. She’s a good friend, and, yeah I’m thinking about her.” He said shyly.  
“Well, I’m gonna do ya a solid Darlina. Being as how I’m you foreman, I got some say around here. You’re looking a little sickly and ya should probably go home and rest up, take care of yourself. Maybe even get a doctor to look ya over.”  
“What the hell are you doing Merle?”  
“You ain’t gonna be worth shit baby brother, if you’re sick and can’t concentrate. Go home or go to Woodbury, hell I don’t care. Just get your mind straight, however ya have to do it.”  
“You sure Merle? You’re shitting me, right?”  
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and get the fuck outta here.” Daryl wasted no time. He knew Yvonne was at work, so he just left a message on her phone, He hadn’t heard from her by the time he pulled into the café parking lot, but he could see her working through the front window. The bell chimed above the door as he walked in and both Amy and Beth looked over at him. Yvonne was with a customer and didn’t notice. He sat at the coffee bar while Amy got him a steaming, hot cup. “Here for Yvonne, I assume? She didn’t tell us you were dropping by.”  
“She didn’t know. I left her a message on her phone, but I guess she hadn’t checked it yet.”  
“What’s the occasion? You off today?”  
“Am now. My foreman took pity on me. Said I looked sick and needed to see a doctor. I’m sure he’s gonna ask me to return the favor, but right now, I don’t care. Ya think it’s possible Yvonne could take the day?”  
Amy smiled, “Ya know, she’s been looking a might sickly herself. She might oughtta go home and rest.” And then she was there, standing next to him. “He’s awful sick hon, he came all the way out here to look for a doctor.” Amy told her.  
“You’re sick! What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you be at home?” Yvonne was frantic.  
“Calm down sweetheart. It’s just a bad case of the ‘missin yous’, Daryl said, slightly appalled by his own corniness.  
“Looks like you might be coming down with the same thing, Miss Yvonne. Maybe you and Daryl should go see a doctor. I’m sure Beth and I can cover the crowd.”  
“Are you sure, Amy? I wouldn’t want to take advantage of your generosity.”  
“I’m not being generous. I just don’t want to catch whatever the hell it is ya’ll are spreading.”  
“Okay.” Yvonne put her hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “Let me go get my stuff. I’ll be right back.” When they left the café, Yvonne strolled over to Daryl’s truck. “Uh uh,” he said. “We’re gonna take a walk at that park you was telling me about. It’s a beautiful day, ain’t no excuse to be spending it inside.” He held his hand out to take hers and they walked the three blocks to the small park. There was a nature trail which circled a small lake and the two spent an hour just talking and holding hands. They sat on a bench at the end of the trail. Yvonne laid her head on his shoulder and he put his hand on her knee. They sat in silence till the sun began to set. When Daryl’s stomach began to growl, Yvonne giggled and lightly tapped his tummy. “Sounds like the monster is trying to escape. We must appease him.”  
Daryl laughed, “I’m starving. Could go for a big, messy cheeseburger and fries.”  
“Sure, drive through good?”  
“Yup,” Daryl said and held her hand as they walked to the truck. On the way, she took her phone out and called Caleb’s mom to ask it Michael could spend the night; she didn’t know when she would get home. She could hear the boys yelling in the background excited for the sleepover. No sooner that Daryl stared the truck, his cell phone rang, Merle dammit! “What the fuck Merle! Ya know I’m busy.”  
“Yeah, I know little brother, but I need to call in that favor you owe me,” Merle said. He sounded nervous.  
“Can’t do it tonight, ya know that. Get me tomorrow.”  
“Can’t wait. Joe and the boys are here now. They need to talk to ya. It’s important.”  
“No Merle. I appreciate you letting me go today, but I can’t do anything for ya’ll right now.”  
“If you don’t get your faggot ass here within the next hour, I’ll beat you to death boy, in front of your woman. When I say it’s important, it’s important!” he growled low into the phone.  
“They threating you?” Daryl asked, concern flooding his voice.  
“Just get here. We’ll explain then.” Daryl hit the end button and threw the phone in the backseat. “I think Merle’s in trouble. He sounded strange. Says his boys need to talk to me. It can’t be good.”  
“Listen, let’s just go find out what they want and then we can go to the diner and get one of those awesome burgers. Michael is taken care of for the night. Everything will be fine,  
“I don’t want you anywhere near those guys. You stay in the truck and keep the doors locked, ya hear?”  
“Yes Daryl. Not gonna do anything stupid okay.” Thirty-five minutes later, they pulled up to the trailer. All the lights were on and there were beer cans littering the front yard. The sun had set on the road and now it was pitch dark outside. “Do not leave this truck!” Daryl stated flatly and got out. Yvonne locked the doors behind him.  
They were all good and drunk by the time Daryl walked in the door. “Hey little D,” Len said, the first to see him walk in. “Haven’t seen you in weeks. Who you been doing?” All the guys laughed their drunk asses off.  
Ain’t doing anybody douche-bag.” Daryl spat at him. “What the fuck you want with me Merle?” he yelled into the trailer.  
“Not Merle that needs ya Daryl.” Joe came walking into the living room. “We need your help with a little project we’re working on. Need your expertise.”  
“Expertise in what?”  
“In construction, boy. Your brother says you got a mind for all that architecture shit. The way things are put together. That’s what makes ya such a good mechanic too.” Joe said and motioned for Daryl to sit next to him on the dirty sofa. As Daryl went to sit down, he didn’t notice Len slip out the door and Joe nod at him as he did. “Where’s Merle?” Daryl asked when Joe put his arm around his shoulders and hugged him, like a father would. Joe and Merle were the same age; a good twelve years older than Daryl. The rest of the boys were his age. “He went to get more beer, should be back soon. Let’s talk for a while.”  
Daryl had parked the truck in partial shadow away from the trailer, under a tree in the yard. Len spotted it right away. He hid at the side of the house so not to be seen. He could see smoke coming from the passenger side window and lingered for a while watching that slender arm go inside to drag and outside to flick. Yvonne was short, about 5’ 4”, but sitting in that truck for forty-five minutes without moving was taking its toll. Just for a minute, she thought. Everybody’s inside, she thought. As quietly as she could, she stepped out of the truck and closed the door. She lit another cigarette and stretched her body as far as it would go. She didn’t see him coming. He advanced on her like she was prey, which she was. She didn’t see him until his hand shot out and rested on the trucks window, right beside her head. “Hey pretty thing. Why you out here all by yourself? Not a good neighborhood for a woman like you to be alone at night without a man to protect her.” Len leaned into her and licked her neck. She could smell the alcohol seeping from his pores. She struggled to get away, but both his hands grasped her biceps and he held her against the door.  
“Stop,” she said quietly, almost calmly. She was anything but calm on the inside. Her heart was racing and she continued to struggle against the man pressing himself against her. “I saw you first bitch, long before little D even walked into that bar. He stole you from me.” His hands began to roam over her beasts, squeezing them roughly. He wedged his knee between her legs. “That’s against the rules. He knows that.” He began biting her neck. “He’s gonna pay for that.” He ripped her shirt open, buttons flew everywhere. He reached behind his back and produced a very long, very sharp knife. “Not a sound outta you or I’ll slash up this pretty face.” He grabbed her by the waist and hauled her from the door to the truck bed. Releasing the tailgate with one hand, he threw her down onto the truck. Grabbing her ankles, he pulled her legs apart and climbed on top of her. She started freaking out and struggled against him harder. She began to beg as he wrenched her arms above her head and began rubbing his erection against her. She started crying. “Little D won’t treat you like this. He’s too much of a pussy to give you what you really need.” He put his lips on hers and forced her mouth open. She took the opportunity and bit down on his invading tongue. He yelled and sat up punching her hard across the face. “I like a woman with fight. Wouldn’t have pegged you for liking the pain, but I ain’t disappointed. I can make it hurt if that’s how ya like it.” She bolted upward and without conscious thought, her right hand came up and landed directly on Len’s nose. Blood started gushing and Yvonne took that moment to push him off her and jump from the truck. She ran to the front and screamed “DARYL!” Two seconds later he almost knocked the door off its hinges running to her. He was followed by everyone else in the trailer, except for Joe.  
When he reached her, she was hunched over and shaking violently. He grabbed her by the waist to keep her from falling to the ground. “Yvonne! What happened? Yvonne!” She broke down in his arms and turned to see his face; she had to make sure that it was him and not that psycho trying to finish what he started. When he saw her face, he flew into a rage. Her shirt was ripped open and her face was bruised and bloody. “Who did this? Better tell me woman, Imma kill him.” That dumbass motherfucker Len came around the truck on the driver’s side. “She flipped out man. Nailed me right in the fucking face,” he said as blood continued to drip down his face. Daryl placed Yvonne gently on the ground and leaped onto Len, taking him to the ground with a thud. He beat the man mercilessly, both fists flying. He couldn’t even see the damage Yvonne had done anymore. After a minute or two of just watching the beating, Lew and Dave made their way over to the men. It took both of them to drag Daryl to his feet. Yvonne just sat there in the grass watching everything, trying to wrap her shirt around her.  
“I’ll kill you motherfucker! You don’t touch her!” Everything stopped as they heard sirens in the distance getting closer. Everyone was about to take off running until Joe stepped out the door. “Stay put fellas. Nothing here to run from.” It was Rick who exited the vehicle first, he immediately went to Daryl. “What the hell is going on? Got a call about a domestic dispute, some kind of fight.” Shane had stepped out of the car and walked over to where Lew and Dave were holding up Len. “That Goddamn piece of shit tried to rape her Rick! Imma kill him!” Rick held him back as he tried to advance on Len again. “How’s she doing? Go check on her, I’m gonna go talk to the boys. You take care of her. I’ll be back in a minute.” As Rick walked away, Daryl went to her and helped her stand. He hugged her tight and she clung to him like he was her lifeline. “Let’s get you inside,” he said and helped her up the steps and through the front door.


	19. Chapter 19 The Blame Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and all the lovely comments. Now sit your asses down and listen, it's story time.

Chapter 19  
The Blame Game

Yvonne wouldn’t speak. She just stared straight ahead, almost catatonic. Daryl was scared; he wanted to comfort her, hold her and make everything better. He wanted her to come back to him from wherever she was right now. He went to the kitchen and got her a bottle of water. “Please baby, drink this.” He crouched down in front of her, putting his hand on her knee for balance. “Look at me.” She turned her face to him and sighed heavily. “Thank you,” she said and took the bottle. He sat on the couch next to her and hesitantly put his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his. He didn’t know what to say, he just held her as she cried. He blamed himself for what happened, how could he not. He should’ve taken her home, or never came here at all. She was almost violently raped and it was all his fault. She was in shock, which was the only explanation for her allowing him to touch her. They sat like that for twenty minutes until Rick and Shane came in the door. Daryl immediately stood, “What’s going on Rick? You arresting that motherfucker?”   
“Yeah. He’s going to the hospital first. You did some pretty severe damage Daryl. Broken nose, possible broken jaw.” Rick replied. He put his hand on Daryl’s arm and led him into the kitchen. “How is she?”  
“She ain’t talking. Can’t stop crying. I want her to go to the hospital too, get herself checked out. I don’t think he was able to do it. I think she was able to get away before he could rape her, but I need to know.” Daryl pleaded.  
“We got ambulances on the way. One for each of them. You can ride with her. Len hasn’t admitted to anything yet. Don’t have any witnesses except for her.” Rick said as he pointed to the living room.  
“I’ll talk to her, see if she’ll want to press charges.” Shane said and started walking out of the room. Daryl grabbed his arm, “You ain’t asking her shit. You ain’t going near her. She’s not gonna forget anything before tomorrow, Rick can ask her then. She’s going to the hospital, then she’s going home.” Daryl said through gritted teeth.  
“I’m just doing my job Dixon. Gotta talk to victims as soon as possible before she forgets her story. When she changes it later, we’ll know.” He said with a smile on his lips. Daryl went to swing his fist at him, but Rick stopped him.  
“Shane, we can get her statement at the hospital, if she’s willing to give it then. Daryl, we’re not gonna force her to talk until she’s ready to.” Just then, two ambulances pulled up to the trailer. “We’ll get Len loaded up first. As soon as their gone, we’ll get Yvonne ready to go. Shane, you ride with Len; see if you can get a statement out of him. Daryl, you ride with Yvonne. I’ll follow in the squad car.”  
Daryl held her hand the entire way to the hospital. She had stopped crying, but still wasn’t talking. They were met at the ER door by a nurse with a wheelchair. Daryl wouldn’t let the EMTs near her, he helped her out and into the chair. He almost flew into a rage when the nurse told him he couldn’t go back with her. Rick put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder, “She’s gonna be back there for a while. Let’s go get some coffee, maybe something to eat. I’ll leave them your cell number if they need you.” Daryl nodded and walked away toward the elevator. The doors opened as soon as Rick arrived. When the doors closed, Daryl heaved a giant sigh, “Goddamn Merle,” he said.  
“Merle have something to do with this?” Rick asked him.  
“Not with what happened to Yvonne, but he’s the reason I was there in the first place. He let me go this morning, from the job sight. He knew she was on my mind and told me to go see her. We spent the whole day together. I knew he’d want something for it, just didn’t think it’d be tonight. Didn’t think it’d be this.”  
“What did he want?” Rick questioned.  
“Turns out, it wasn’t for him, it was for Joe. Illegal, of course. Merle sounded off when he called, like Joe was threatening him. He sounded real nervous. He threatened me if I didn’t show up. Should’ve taken her home, but she wanted to go to the diner afterward. Ya know, that night we met, Len was eyeing her. He’s saying all kinds of shit about what he’d do to her. Knew he’s gonna be there; told her to stay in the truck. Didn’t even see Len go outside. Joe was talking to me, wasn’t even paying attention. Fuck Rick, this is all my fault.”  
The elevator doors opened and they got in line at the cafeteria. “It’s not your fault Daryl. It’s that fucker Len’s fault. Sounds like Joe was distracting you. What does he want you to do?”  
“Ya know the old abandoned department store building in town? Well, Joe bought it from the fucker that owned it, had everything transferred into his name, even the insurance. Wants me to use my expertise to check it out, find out where its weak spots are so he cash in the policy.”  
“We’ll get Len for what he did, I promise that. And maybe, we can get Joe for insurance fraud, at the least.”  
Daryl thought for a second and took a sip of his coffee. “Whatever you want Rick. I’ll do whatever you say. Just make sure they all pay for this, or I will.”  
Merle sat in his truck, fifth of whiskey already gone, staring at his cell phone. He couldn’t be there when Joe talked to his brother. He knew he would never go along with the plan. Daryl had ethics, morals and a sheriff’s deputy for a best friend. He also knew that if (when) Daryl refused, Merle would be the one to bear the brunt of Joe’s ire. That was okay, Merle had endured worse to save his baby brother, but this time was different. This time, they wouldn’t stop at him, they would go after Daryl too, and possibly, Daryl’s woman. He knew about the whole thing with Len and hoped to hell that Daryl could protect her. The picture on his cell screen smiled up at him. She had the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. He needed her, needed to hear her voice. He wanted her to tell him what to do. She probably wouldn’t even pick up the phone for him, but he had nothing to lose at this point.  
Rick and Daryl made a beeline back to the emergency room the minute his phone rang. They had been waiting for an hour and a half and Daryl had drank four cups of coffee; he practically flew from the cafeteria to see her. The doctor met them at the reception desk and told Daryl all he knew. She had a few cuts and bruises, a nasty bite mark on her shoulder that would heal, but leave a scar, and the entire left side of her face was bruised and swollen, but would also heal. “Is that all?” Daryl asked anxiously.  
“Yes. The rape kit came back negative. We were able to get skin cells from under her fingernails and DNA from her shirt. It’s ready for the investigators when they come for it.”  
“What about the other guy?’ Rick asked.  
“Multiple lacerations to the face, some needed stitches. Black eye, broken nose and a couple missing teeth. He’ll live long enough to go to jail for this,” the doctor answered. “You can go see her if you want. I wouldn’t expect her to say a lot. We’ve given her some pretty good pain meds. When we can get her discharged, she needs to go home and rest. Someone should stay with her while she’s on the meds and bring her back in a week for a follow up.”  
“I’ll do it.” Daryl said. He stopped cold when he saw her. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, but he didn’t want her to see that. She lay so still and quiet, he didn’t want to wake her up, but he had to touch her. He had to prove to himself she was there with him. He laid his hand on hers and rubbed his thumb across it. She stirred a little and her eyes fluttered open. “Baby, it’s me, Daryl. Doctor says you’re gonna heal up real good. They’re gonna let ya go home soon and I’m gonna stay with ya, okay. I’m gonna take care of ya. I ain’t gonna leave ya alone again, I promise,” he said unsuccessfully fighting the tears. “God baby, I’m so sorry. I never should’ve brought you with me. It’s all my fault.”  
“No, Daryl, it’s not.” Yvonne said sleepily. “Can we talk about this later? I’m just so tired.”  
“Of course, sweetheart. Get some rest.” Daryl pulled one of the chairs next to her bed and continued to hold her hand. “I gotta find Shane and head back to the station,” Rick said. “Gotta get started on paperwork. I’ll call ya in the morning, to see how she’s doing. You let me know when she’s ready to talk. How ya’ll getting home?”  
“I’ll call Merle or T. See if I can get a ride back to the trailer and I’ll take her home from there. Thanks Rick, I owe ya one.”  
“You don’t owe me shit. Just take care of her, and tell her that you love her.”  
They waited until she woke up to discharge her. She had slept for six hours and woke as the sun was rising. Daryl had called Merle, who said he would come by and pick them up. Daryl wanted to ask him about last night, where he’d been but couldn’t think about anyone other than Yvonne. Merle pulled up in his truck as Daryl pushed the wheelchair outside. He was horrified when he saw her. That son of a bitch Len and all his buddies were gonna pay with their lives if he had anything to do with it. When they got back to the trailer, he helped Yvonne out of his truck and into Daryl’s. She visibly flinched as she approached the passenger side door. She looked down and saw her crushed cigarette from last night, barely smoked. She was not going to cry, she’d cried all she was going to. She felt Daryl put his hand on her shoulder as Merle opened the door and helped her up. When the door was closed, Daryl looked at his brother. “You and me are gonna talk, whether you like it or not. You owe me some answers and you owe her more than that. I’ll call you later and you better answer. I won’t be back to work till tomorrow or next day. I’ll let you know.” He turned his back on his brother and drove Yvonne home.  
“Thank you,” she said, so quietly that Daryl almost didn’t hear her.  
“You don’t have to thank me for nothing. It’s my fault you were out there, my fault he hurt you. I’m grateful you’re talking to me, grateful you’re letting me be near you. I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me and never wanted to see me again.”  
“You saved me. He could’ve raped me. You saved me, defended me. You hurt the man who hurt me. That makes me indebted to you. It’s my fault it happened. I just wanted to stretch my legs. I know you said not to get out of the truck, and I did. I did what you told me not to do. There was a reason why you said it, I know that, but I was just so stupid.”  
“You weren’t stupid. I was the stupid one for bringing you with me, for thinking I could leave you alone anywhere near those guys. I know them. I know what they can do, what they’ve done. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make this better for you, I’m gonna take care of you and Michael, I promise.”  
“I don’t want to play the blame game, Daryl. It’s over, I know Rick needs a statement, I know I’ll have to testify, maybe, but can I focus on healing? I don’t care who’s to blame. No one’s to blame except that psycho who attacked me.” Neither of them said anything else until they got to the house. Daryl got her inside and into bed, “You stay here, I’ll run next door and get Michael.”  
“Oh God! What am I gonna tell him?”  
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. You rest, I’ll make breakfast when we get back.”  
Daryl stopped Michael before he went into the house. “Something we gotta talk about buddy. Have a seat.”  
“Is mom okay? She hurt?”  
“Yeah Michael. She was in an accident last night. She’s gonna be fine, just some cuts and bruises, but she took a hit to her face. One side is swollen and bruised. Don’t be scared when ya see her, she’s gonna look like herself in no time.” Daryl told him.  
“Okay. Are you gonna stay and help take care of her? Can she walk? Will she be able to take care of herself?”  
“Yeah, I’ll stay. I already told your momma I would. She can walk and do things for herself, she’s just in a lot of pain. They gave her some meds that make her sleep. Go on in, go see your momma and get ready for school. I’ll drop you off. Gonna make breakfast too.”  
Shane had just finished up the paperwork from Len’s statement when he felt his phone vibrate in his front pants pocket. When he saw who it was, he told Rick that he had to take it and would be back soon. “Hello,” he said as he walked out the back door of the station.  
“Hello cuz. How ya doing this fine morning?”  
“A whole hell of a lot better than you are cuz.” Shane replied.  
What are we gonna do about this situation we’ve found ourselves in?”  
“Working on a plan, don’t worry. He’ll pay for what he did. Both of them will.”


	20. Chapter 20 An Owl in the Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Yvonne go camping. Or Daryl bares his soul and other stuff . . . thaaangs. Or . . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is solely dedicated to the wonderful Debbief722. For you, my love. A reward for your patience and a thank you for your encouragement. It is very long (over 3000 words), but worth it in my humble opinion. Please tell me what you think. This is my official first foray into smut for public consumption. I hope you die a happy woman Debbie. Happy New Year.

Chapter 20  
An Owl in the Trees

Daryl felt that there weren’t many positive things people could say about him, except for one. He was a man of his word. After he made breakfast, scrambled eggs and toast, he drove Michael to school and spent the rest of the day taking care of Yvonne. He made sure she ate, stayed hydrated and put ointment on her cuts and bruises. When she slept, which was most of the day, he lay with his arms around her. Eventually, he called Merle. He told Daryl he had known what Joe was gonna ask him and just couldn’t be there; he was a coward. He didn’t know about what happened to the girl until Daryl called him. He had taken a risk and gone to Carol who had not turned him away. He poured his heart out to her about Daryl, the boys and her. Afraid of how this would end for him, he told her he loved her and had spent the night in her bed. Those things he kept to himself. Carol had volunteered to stay with Yvonne during the day so Daryl and Merle could go back to work. It would be for only one day, because Daryl and Yvonne were going camping this weekend.  
When Friday morning arrived, Daryl was up before the sun, packing gear in his truck. He wasn’t sure if they should still go, but she had insisted. She told him that it would help get their minds off what had happened. He put Michael’s gear in along with theirs. They were dropping him off for his own trip, then driving to the cabin. As they got closer, Daryl stopped at a small grocery store located just off the dirt road that led to their destination. He was planning on going hunting tomorrow and had brought food supplies to sustain them until then, but he had come up with a plan for a special night and had to get some extras. He picked up hot dogs, buns, marshmallows and, of course, beer. Yvonne wasn’t sure of what she expected when she saw the cabin, but it certainly was not this. It was anything but a shack. It had two floors, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen and a living area with a fireplace. “This is incredible. It’s so big and beautiful. Did your grandfather build this himself?”  
“Yeah, for the most part. He let Merle and I do some stuff to the bedrooms to make them our own. Let’s get the gear unloaded and I’ll show you around.” It took thirty minutes to get everything out of the truck because Daryl wouldn’t let her carry anything. After she had put the food away, he grabbed her bag and they went upstairs. He showed her all three bedrooms and let her choose the one she wanted. She looked at each one twice before picking the one at the far end of the hall. Daryl sat her bag down by the door and sat next to her on the bed. The room looked the same as it had the last time he had slept there. This had been the room he had stayed in all those summers. He had made it his own in so many ways that weren’t visible to the naked eye. This was the first place he could ever call his own, the first place he ever felt safe. There were still things hidden in this place that would never see the light of day. “Why’d ya pick this one?” he asked her.  
“It seems the most comfortable. It feels safe, I just felt good when I came in here.” She answered him.  
“This one was mine. The second one was Merle’s and the big one at the other end was grandpa’s. I felt the same way when I first came in here. Merle wanted it at first, but grandpa told him that as the youngest, I deserved to get what I wanted for once. “  
“I can pick another room, if you want this one to yourself,” she told him.  
“No. I want you to stay in here. It’s a special room and you need to be in it, okay?”  
“Okay. Let’s go downstairs and eat a bite.” She said and went downstairs. She looked through all the food Daryl had picked up and chose to make ham and cheese sandwiches. Daryl told her that she should rest after lunch, maybe they could nap for a while. In a couple or three hours, they would take a walk down to the creek and have dinner over a fire. She was excited about that, but she knew she should rest. Her body was still sore, even though most of her injuries were almost completely healed, the pain medication was still in her system. They walked up the stairs together and went into Daryl’s old room. They lay in bed together, in each other’s arm and drifted off to sleep.  
They woke a couple of hours later with the sun low in the sky. “Better get everything together. Need to get to the creek before dark.” Daryl said and kissed her on the forehead. He put the food and a couple other things in his backpack and let Yvonne carry the blanket. They arrived at the creek ten minutes later, the sun beginning to set. Daryl took the blanket from her and laid it on the ground, a few inches away from the creek bed. He put the backpack down on the corner and went to Yvonne, taking her hand in his. He let her to sit on the blanket and sat behind her. Wrapping his arms around her body, he nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, “I want to see this with you.” He pointed to the sky where the sun was falling, about to meet the horizon. “It’s beautiful,” Yvonne whispered. Soon the darkness surrounded them. Daryl sighed and stood up, “Gotta get the fire going. Why don’t you get the hot dogs out and ready while I do that.” Daryl said and went to gather firewood. She had never roasted hot dogs over a fire before. This was exciting. She was having such a good time, being way from civilization, being with Daryl. She had been doing a lot of thinking since her attack. Her relationship with him was not what she had expected it to be. He had given her more that she thought she deserved. He had stood up for her and protected her; more than her husband ever did. She realized that she was falling in love with him, but didn’t want to assume that he felt the same. The things he had done for her were nice things, done by a nice man. A nice man who couldn’t possibly love her.  
After their meal and dessert of roasted marshmallow, they lay on their backs next to each other on the blanket, watching the stars. “Thank you Daryl. This has been one of the best and most exciting days of my life. I’m so glad we did this. I’m so glad you invited me.”  
“I’m glad too. It’s nice to have someone to share this with. Nice to have somebody who can appreciate it like I do.” He said and turned on his side to face her. “You look so beautiful in the moonlight.” He could see her blushing at his words and leaned down to gently kiss her lips.  
“Why, Daryl? Why do you do such nice, sweet things for me?” She asked shyly.  
He leaned back to look at her, thinking carefully before he spoke. “Because I never had anyone to do these things for. Every woman I’ve ever know has been a one night stand. No one ever wanted to get to know me. No woman ever let me into her life before, made me a part of it. It means so much that you’ve done that. I want you to know how much that means to me. And because . . .” he took a deep breath, “because I love you. I’m in love with you Yvonne.”  
She searched his eyes for any hint of deception and found none. Her eyes bean to glisten with tears. “Say it again, please.”  
“I love you. Think I’ve loved you since the night we met. Dreamed about you almost every night since. You don’t have to say it back, I don’t expect that. I just can’t keep it to myself anymore.”  
Yvonne was speechless. She put her hand on his cheek and brought him down for a desperate, passionate kiss. He climbed over her and settled between her legs. His lips moved from hers to her jawline, then beneath her ear. He put a hand in her hair and pulled her head to the side allowing access to her beautiful neck. “I’m ready Daryl. I need you. Please.” His lips continued their assault on her skin, moving to her collarbone, then her chest where he licked and sucked the swell of her breasts as they peeked out of her bra and tank. “Tell me baby.” His voice low and rough. “Tell me what you need. Say the words.”  
“I need to feel you inside me,” she said breathlessly. “Make love to me.” He sat up on his knees and looked at her, lying there before him, his for the taking. He pulled her up to him and they looked into each other’s eyes. “I need you too.” He said and hissed her again. His hands went under her shirt to her stomach and as they moved higher, he pulled her shirt up and over her head. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her beautiful, full breasts enclosed in a lacey, purple bra. He brought his hands up and cupped them, feeling her nipples harden as he rubbed his thumbs over them. They moaned together and she brought her hands up and wrapped them around his neck. She began to unbutton his shirt and slipped her hands inside, touching him for the first time. She felt his breath hitch and he stopped touching her, dropping his hands to his side. “Daryl? What’s wrong? Are you okay? What did I do?” Yvonne asked him, scared that she had done something that would stop what was happening between them.  
Daryl moved his hands away from her. He put his hand on her cheek and touched his forehead to hers. “Everything is okay. You didn’t do anything wrong, just gave me a reminder.”  
“A reminder of what?” she whispered against his lips.  
“You let me into your life,” he said. “You’ve let me see things that hurt you. I know about your past, the things that made you who you are. I need to do the same,” he said and stood before her. He unbuttoned his shirt and slowly let it slip from his shoulder and land on the blanket. In the moonlight, she could see faint white lines scattered across his chest, some small, some not. She moved closer and he allowed her to touch them. As she ran her fingers along the puckered white ropes of skin, she felt them surrounded by small circular ones. She knew exactly what this was. She’d seen it before, on her mother’s skin. He held her wrists away and turned around, his back being much worse. Some of the scars had been covered by an elaborate tattoo on his shoulder blade, but she could still feel them as she continued to caress his rough skin. She wrapped her arms around him and put her forehead on his shoulder. He could feel her tears on his skin and instead of getting angry over the pity he thought she would feel, he knew these were tears of empathy.  
“How long did this go on for Daryl?” Yvonne asked, the sadness evident in her voice.  
“First time I was six. Right after my ma died. Pa blamed me ‘cause I hadn’t been home at the time. I’d been down the street with some neighborhood kids. Should have been there to keep an eye on her. She drank and smoked a lot and fell asleep with a cigarette. Burned the house down to nothing. Not a trace of her left.” He began to weep. “Merle was in juvie most of the time, he never knew.” He turned in her arms to face her. “No one knows, ‘cept you. Rick and T always suspected, but I never told them. They’ve never seen my scars. You’re the only person who’s ever seen them. I was seventeen when he stopped. I was big enough and strong enough to fight back. He lost interest when I wouldn’t lie down for him anymore.”  
“I don’t care about the scars, Daryl. I’ve seen them before, on my mom. There’s no reason to be ashamed of them either. You’re the most beautiful, amazing man I’ve ever known and I have a feeling it’s all because of those scars.”  
“You still want me?” he asked with trepidation, looking at her through shaggy strands of hair.  
“More than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life. I love you Daryl.” He placed one hand on her hip and grabbed the back of her head with the other. He pulled her roughly to him and devoured her mouth with his. He leaned forward, taking her to the ground beneath him, his lips never leaning hers. Reaching behind her, he unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms; it joined his shirt on the ground. As his mouth caressed her nipples his hands went to her waist; his thumbs dipping under the band of her jeans. With the button and zipper taken care of, he pushed them down her hips and legs exposing her matching purple lace panties. Once her jeans were disposed of, he hovered over her core and began kissing her stomach, working his way down. He pushed her panties aside and took a deep breath, breathing in her arousal. His already hard cock twitched in its confinement, begging to be released.  
He dipped his head and slowly stated to lick and suck at her swollen clit. She whimpered and writhed, bucking her hips into his lavishing tongue. He rubbed her pussy with his fingers and slid two inside her. “Oh God, Daryl!” she cried. He thought his cock would burst out of his pants when he heard her say his name. “So perfect,” he mumbled into her heat, the vibration causing her to moan loudly. She was close, he could tell by the way her pussy contracted on his fingers. “Don’t stop! Please! Please don’t stop!” she begged. He lifted his head to look at her. Her face was flushed and there was a thin sheen of sweat forming on her skin. He continued to pump his fingers inside her. “Not gonna stop baby. Never gonna stop. Want to see you come. Come for me Yvonne.” He was panting now, his breathing shallow in anticipation of seeing that beautiful face in ecstasy. Suddenly she stilled, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’ as her eyes shot wide open. Her back arched and her hands flew above her head. “I’m coming! Oh God Daryl!” He continued to pump his fingers inside her and began rubbing her clit with his thumb. He only stopped when she visibly relaxed, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.  
He moved up her body and kissed her hard. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue. She moaned into the kiss, her limp body motionless beneath him. He broke the kiss and looked at her. “Are you ready for me?” he asked. His eyes dark and half-lidded, his lust and desire shining through. “Yes, take me. Make me yours,” she begged. He sat up and left her laying there and went over to his backpack. Rooting around with one hand he pulled out a long, rectangular box. He looked at it for a moment then put it back. Not now, he thought. That was for later, after. He rooted around some more and found what he was looking for. He walked back to her and stood towering over her naked body. He took off his pants and boxers at once, letting his erection free. She looked up at him in awe. He was large, larger than any man she’d ever had before; certainly larger than David. He must have seen the surprise on her face, because after he rolled the condom on, he got on his knees before her. “We don’t have to go through with this if you don’t want to. I don’t want to hurt you.”  
“It’ been over four years for me Daryl. It’s gonna hurt no matter what. The hurt will only last a moment, this will be worth any pain involved. Take me, however you want me.” He leaned down between her thighs and rubbed his head against her wet slit. He supported himself with one palm by her head and the other pumping himself, preparing to enter her. He whispered in her ear, “Let me know if it’s too much. I’ll stop if you need me to.” She nodded her head in the affirmative and he kissed her lips soft and gentle as he slid himself inside her. Her body stiffened and he stilled. “Just relax baby. I’m gonna take care of you.” He took one nipple between his lips and the other between his thumb and forefinger manipulating them masterfully. He continued to ease himself inside her until he was balls deep. He stilled again allowing her time to adjust to him. When she was ready, she began bucking her hips into him, wordlessly giving him consent to move. He pulled out of her and slammed back inside, making her scream his name into the sky. She wrapped her legs around him tighter trying to pull him into her closer. She put her arms around his neck and brought his lips down on hers. His teeth clinking against her in a fury of love and passion. He sucked at her bottom lip and went straight for her neck. He roughly sucked that spot where her neck met her shoulder. Her moaning and screaming got louder as he sucked harder.  
“Harder, please.” She begged, barely able to speak. Her body was on fire. She could feel every thrust reverberate throughout her from head to toe. She had never felt so full in her life. She could feel her orgasm building in her again. As Daryl pumped himself inside her harder and faster she felt like she would lose consciousness. Daryl, meanwhile, was struggling to keep his own orgasm at bay. He had obeyed her command, taking her harder and rougher, making her his. “So perfect,” he was able to say. “So wet, so tight. All mine.” He growled, his voice deep and haggard, full of pure lust. He could feel her walls contract, squeezing his cock like a vise. “Please come baby. You’ve gotta come now. I can’t last much longer.” With those words, she dug her nails into his skin and dragged them down his back. “Daryl!” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she came harder than she ever had. He cradled her head in the crook of his neck as he released inside her, latching his teeth onto her neck as her pussy milked him for every ounce of cum in his body. They continued to move together as they both came down from their high. He lay on top of her, his head buried between her breasts as they waited for their breathing to calm. When his soft cock slid out of her, he moved to lay on his back, dragging her with him, his arm around her and her head on his chest.


	21. Chapter 21 The Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Yvonne are still stuck in the woods. Whatever will they do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay boys and girls, this is a continuation of the last chapter. Daryl and Yvonne are still stuck in the woods. Some may think that this chapter is a little more graphic than the last, and they would be right. Hope ya'll enjoy this. Let me know what you think. I know you will.

Chapter 21  
The Bliss

When Daryl opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he was cold. The second was that he was naked and the third was the soft body wrapped around him. He felt her arm across his chest and her long, silky hair on his skin. He took a strand between his fingers and began twirling it. He felt the weight of her breasts and her nipples hardened by the chill. He lifted his arm and looked at his watch; they had been sleeping for almost an hour. He put his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her wake. “Wake up sleeping beauty,” he whispered in her ear.  
“Mmmm, don’t wanna,” Yvonne whined. “I like where I am. Don’t make me move.”  
“I know baby, but it’s getting cold and I don’t want you to get sick. We need to head back to the cabin. I’ll get you good and warmed up.” Yvonne lifted her head from his chest and softly kissed his lips.  
“Okay, but promise me that we’ll come back here before we leave.”  
“I promise darlin’. Anything you want,” he rolled her onto her back, “anyway you want it, anytime you want it beautiful.” He laid his body on hers and sucked on her lower lip. “But right now, I want you in a nice, warm bed.” He continued to kiss her slowly and let a few minutes pass before lifting himself off her and helping her up. He held her naked body close to his own. “I love you so much.”  
“I love you too Daryl. More than anything. Take me back to the cabin.”  
They got dressed and packed up all their stuff, the fire having extinguished itself a while back. They walked to the cabin hand in hand and when they arrived, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the threshold bridal style. She looked at him with surprise and he said, “Just practicing.” She let his words stand and didn’t respond. He went to the fridge and put away the leftover hot dogs. He grabbed her hand and his backpack and led her upstairs to his bed. She sat at the foot of the bed with him beside her, just as they had a few hours ago. He put his arm around her and she lay her head on his shoulder. He released a loud sigh, “I need you to know how much it means to me, what we did. I don’t ever want to be without you. I’ve never felt this way and I think I fell in love with you on that curb in front of the bar. You’ve given me so much and you don’t even know it. You’ve given me confidence, and a feeling of worth. I want to give it all back to you.” He stood up and went to his backpack and took out the box. “Close your eyes. I got something for you.”  
“Daryl, you didn’t have to . . .”  
“Shush woman. I do what I want,” he gave her a sly smirk. Yvonne closed her eyes and Daryl put the box in her hands. “Open your eyes.” It was a long, rectangular box. When she opened it, she gasped. The box contained a long, silver chain and at the bottom was an open, silver heart pendant with a diamond in the middle. Her eyes began to water and her hands trembled.  
“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Daryl. When did you get this? Why?”  
“You ask silly questions,” he said shaking his head. “I got it last Monday after your in-laws left. Everything I hadn’t been sure about before, I realized was true. Why? Because I want to take care of you and Michael. I know you do fine on your own, but I want you to need me as much as I need you. I want both of ya to be mine.” He took the necklace out of the box and held it his hands. “This is my heart, Yvonne. This diamond is you. You’re in my heart and I’m giving it to you. It belongs to you, I belong to you; for as long as you’ll have me.” He swept her hair to the side and clasped the necklace behind her.  
“You have my heart too. You have everything. My heart, my soul, and my body. It all belongs to you. I belong to you.” She turned her body around and gently pushed him down on the bed. She had never been this bold before, she had never been allowed to be. She straddled his thighs and leaned down to kiss him. As their kiss grew more desperate she began to grind herself onto Daryl’s hardness. She felt desperate, she was desperate. She wanted him to take her in every way possible. Daryl felt her desperation and his own. He grabbed her hips hard, digging his fingers into them to stop her moving. “You gotta stop doing that or I’m gonna cum in my pants.” He held her against him and flipped them over. Now, he was above her and felt her trembling beneath him. “I want you. I want to touch you, taste you, and feel you move under me. I want to hear you whimper and moan my name when I make you cum,” he said and relieved her of her shirt and bra. He pressed heated, open mouthed kisses to her neck, chest and stomach, following them with long, lingering licks with his tongue. He licked his way back up to her breasts and took one in his mouth, using his hand on the other. She was breathing heavy and her desire was causing her body to move almost against her own will. She was arching her back pushing herself farther into his mouth and hand. She was bucking her hips into his hardness trying to relieve some of her need.  
“Daryl,” she moaned over and over. He was touching her with his mouth and his tongue. “Please Daryl,” she whined, but he didn’t stop. He acted like he didn’t even hear her. “I need you. I need to feel you,” she begged.  
“You’re so fuckin’ beautiful baby. Your mine. This body is mine, and I’m gonna do what I want. I’m nowhere near finished with you.” He said with a growl deep in his chest. He lifted himself from her and stood at the foot of the bed, shedding his clothes. When he was naked in front of her, he got on his knees and pulled her to the edge of the bed. His eyes were black with desire and he pulled her jeans and panties from her body. He lifted her legs and placed her feet on his shoulders. He lay his palm over her wet heat and began rubbing circles with it. Her breath hitched and became shallow. She was moaning and her body jerked uncontrollably. He moved his hand away and rubbed from her clit to her pussy with his finger, finally slipping it inside her. “Oh fuck, Daryl,” she cried. “Feels so good, so fucking good.” By this time, he had his mouth on her, licking, sucking and biting while his fingers pounded in and out of her. “You taste so good baby girl and smell so sweet. I’m gonna make you come, then I’m gonna fuck you through this bed,” he growled. His fingers and tongue moved faster and harder and Yvonne felt the pressure building again. She screamed his name as she came. He pressed his palm to her stomach to hold her down. He kept licking, sucking and thrusting until she lay still. He stood up, “On your stomach baby girl. I need ya.” She rolled over and he grasped her by the hips bringing them up to him. He leaned over, gently rubbing her back. He parted her legs enough to fit his thighs inside them. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He turned her head to the side, kissed her deeply and slid inside her. He muffled her scream with his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her and covered her breasts with his hands, squeezing them and rolling his thumbs over her nipples. When his thrusting became more frantic, he moved his hands to her hips to steady her. His head rested on her back and he moaned, “Never gonna let you go. Love you. Love you.” He pushed her down onto the bed keeping one hand on her hip the other went to her lower back to hold her down. He slammed into her three more times and roared as he came inside her. He kept moving in and out of her until he was dry, then he collapsed next to her.   
She lay on her stomach, not moving, only shifting her head to the side facing him. He lay on his back, one arm over his closed eyes and a hand on his chest. His mouth was open and he was gasping for air. She had never been so thoroughly fucked in her entire life. She knew she’d be walking funny tomorrow, but who gave a shit. Maybe she wouldn’t have to walk at all. Suddenly Daryl sat bolt upright. “Fuck!” he exclaimed loudly.  
“Yup,” Yvonne answered lazily with a smile on her face.  
“No baby, I forgot. I’m so sorry.”  
“Forgot wha. . . oh.” She replied when she realized what he meant.  
“God baby, I didn’t mean to. I just . . .I’m so fucking sorry. I ruined everything.” Daryl put his head in his hands. Yvonne sat up and put an arm around his shoulders.   
“You didn’t ruin anything, Daryl. It’s okay. I can’t get pregnant tonight.”  
“What?”  
“I can only get pregnant at a specific time of the month. This isn’t that time. Trust me. How do you think I only had one kid?”  
“Okay,” he said. He wasn’t sure he understood that, but he trusted her. She wouldn’t lie about something like this. “If you’re not worried, I’m not either.”  
“When the time comes, I’ll make sure you know to be prepared. I’m exhausted. I need sleep and so do you. We have the rest of the weekend ahead of us.” She kissed him briefly on the lips and lay down with her back to him. Daryl settled down next to her and brought the sheet up around them. She reached over and turned off the table lamp then relaxed in his arms. “I love ya darlin’,” he said. “I love you too,” she replied and soon they were asleep in each other’s arms again.  
The next morning, Yvonne woke before Daryl. He no longer had his arms around her and she wondered if he had left to go hunting. She turned over and saw him lying next to her, in the same position he was in last night after they made love. She propped herself on her elbow and admired him. The sheet had slipped down to his waist and she looked longingly at his sculptured chest. The tattoos, sparse hair and scars. It all made him so beautiful to her. The long expanse of his neck leading to his strong, broad shoulders. She fought the urge to touch him, not wanting him to wake just yet. Her eyes continued down his body to where the sheet lay on his hips; the line of hair on his stomach running underneath. Then she caught a glance and saw that he was hard. She was well acquainted with morning wood. Morning was the only time David was in the mood for her. She thought about the magnificence that lay under that sheet and suddenly had the desire to do something she never thought she would ever have the desire to do. She crawled to the foot of the bed and slowly pulled the sheet from Daryl’s body, revealing his impressive erection. He was so much larger than David. She could deep throat him, not an impressive feat considering his lack of length. She knew Daryl was more than a mouthful and that was intimidating, but she wanted to do this so badly. She wanted to give him pleasure. She wanted to give to him what he had given to her.  
She took him in her hand at the base of his cock. Moving her hand slowly up and down his length, rubbing her thumb across his head. She leaned over him and licked him like an ice cream cone, taking him into her mouth. She sucked lightly and began moving her hand up and down his shaft. She looked up at him and saw his eyes flutter, but not open. He began to moan in his sleep. She knew he was dreaming and that he would wake up soon. Her mouth continued its assault. She relaxed he throat and took him in as far as she could. As his moans got louder, he reached out his hand and placed it on the back of her head, slowly pushing her further down on him. “Yes baby. Don’t stop. You’re so good baby girl.” Her eyes shot up to his face and his eyes were wide open watching her head move up and down on his cock. “Fuck! Suck harder baby, faster, please,” he cried out. He gripped her hair in his fist to hold her in place and began to buck his hips into her mouth. She felt him hit the back of her throat and stifled a gag reflex as she realized he had his entire cock in her mouth, fucking her with abandon. Then he released his grip on her. “Gonna cum,” he said, barely able to form the words. He gave her the chance to get off him, he didn’t want to surprise her, but she didn’t move. She gripped his hips and held on as he released his seed inside her warm mouth. When he lay still, she raised her head and swept the hair from her face. Daryl looked at her, his mind in haze. She had a line of cum dripping from her lips down her chin. She wiped at it with her finger. Daryl raised up and took her hand in his, putting her cum covered digit in his mouth and sucking it dry. Her eyes went wide at that. She had never seen a man do that and it made her wet. “That’s a first,” he said when her released her finger with a loud pop.  
“Never had a wakeup call like that before, huh?” she said, not able to keep the smile of satisfaction from her face.  
“Nope, never had that at all,” he said and lowered his head trying to avoid her eyes.  
“No way Daryl. That was not your first blow job.” She said unbelieving.  
“Yeah, it was.”  
“But how . . . I don’t believe that.”  
“Told you, all those other women were one night stands. Drunk bar whores. All they wanted was to fuck. Doing something like that disgusted them. I guess drunk bar whores have standards.”  
Yvonne had always been disgusted by it too. This was the first time in her life she had wanted to do this. She had never had that desire until Daryl. “So . . . was it good for you?”  
“There is no way in hell that you could touch me and it not be good. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but your mouth is fucking amazing.”  
She moved to sit next to him on the bed. “David always said I didn’t do it right. I was never able to make him cum with my mouth.”  
Daryl looked at her shocked. “He was a Goddamn idiot! I don’t want you to think about him anymore! I don’t want to hear his name again, do you hear me!” She shook her head yes, afraid to speak. Trying to change the subject she said, “If you’re going hunting today, you should get ready. I’ll go fix breakfast.” She stopped at the door and looked back at him, still sitting on the bed. “I don’t need to say his name again. I have a new one to say, a better one.” She walked through the door and went to start breakfast.


	22. Chapter 22 This Ship is in the Shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little domesticity for ya. Aaaaand smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay. There is a line in this chapter that makes me giggle uncontrollably. Can you guess which one it is?

Chapter 22  
This Ship is in the Shore

Daryl was gone for about three and a half hours. Yvonne spent that time cleaning the cabin. There wasn’t much to do, but she kept herself busy and her mind occupied. When there wasn’t anything left to do, she grabbed a beer and her smokes and sat on the front porch waiting for her man to return. What happened between them this weekend seemed like a dream. She certainly did not expect it and she didn’t regret it. He told her that she had given him confidence and self-worth and he had given her the same. She believed him when he said he loved her and she felt confident enough to say it back. All the fear she had was gone. Her heart and mind were together on this one. There was no longer conflict between what she wanted and what she thought was the truth. When she saw him walking toward the cabin, she rose to great him. He had a string of something around his waist, but she couldn’t tell what it was. He leaned his crossbow against the porch steps and took her in his arms. “Missed you,” he said into her hair. “Missed you too. What did you kill for me?”  
“Got a half dozen squirrels. I almost had a twelve point, but I tripped over a tree root and spooked him off,” he said embarrassed.  
“That’s okay caveman. Hunter gatherer still bring food for woman,” she said.  
“This hunter will always provide for his woman.” He kissed her lips softly. “Come on, I’m gonna show you how it’s done Dixon style.”  
“Ooh, you have your own style. Very impressive. Woman intrigued.” She laughed and turned to walk back inside. Daryl laughed with her and slapped her ass and said, “Woman go fix man food.”  
She was very proud of herself. She didn’t get as grossed out as she thought she would and even helped out with the last three. Daryl had brought some spices with him and seasoned the meat. While the squirrel was marinating, they sat on the couch in each other’s arms. Daryl told her the story of the lost buck and she told him what she had been doing around the cabin. He noticed she kept touching her pendant. He loved the way it looked against her pale skin. He reached out and traced it with the pad of his finger. He stared at it mesmerized. He still couldn’t believe what had happened between them this weekend. It felt like a dream. What he hadn’t told her was that he tripped over the tree root because he had been replaying last night in his head. He had been concentrating on it so hard in fact, that he almost whipped it out and jerked it right there in the woods. That is until he remembered that he didn’t have to do that anymore. What he was thinking about wasn’t a fantasy, it had really happened. It was real and she was willing and waiting for him back at the cabin. Fortunately, he was able to get his head back in the game long enough to bag those squirrels and get back to the cabin without sporting a hard-on the size of Texas.  
He finally looked up at her and locked onto those beautiful chocolate eyes that had taken his breath away the night they met. She put her hand on the back of his head and pulled him into a soft kiss. When they parted, he cupped her face in his hands. “Your never gonna doubt yourself again. I’m gonna make sure of it, I promise you. There won’t be a day goes by that you’re not gonna know how wonderful and beautiful you are.”  
“And I promise you the same Daryl. Every day I’m gonna tell you and show you how amazing you are. I waited my whole life for you, then I gave up for a long time. I didn’t think I deserved someone like you, but you’re the only man who’s ever made me feel wonderful and beautiful. I need you to believe the same about yourself.”  
“Nobody’s ever said things like that to me. I was always just nothing, nobody. A woman would only be with me if she was drunk, high or Merle offered her drugs for it. Got so tired of that.”  
“You don’t ever have to worry about that again. Those women were idiots. I know what you are, I know what I have with you and I’m never giving up on you.” He put his arm around her shoulder and brought her to him. She rested her head on his chest. They sat like that, in silence, until it was time to fix dinner. They worked together, Daryl frying the meat and Yvonne making mac and cheese out of a box and green beans from a can. She was alarmed at how much she liked squirrel. Daryl just told her that it was his special recipe that did it, because squirrel really don’t taste that good. They spent their time just laughing and talking, enjoying each other’s company.  
After dinner, they cleaned the dishes. Well, Yvonne did, Daryl stood behind her with his arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder. After the last dish was in the drainer, she turned in his arms and put hers around his neck. “So, what do you want to do now?” she said suggestively.  
He laid his forehead on hers. “I’m real tired. I was thinking we could just go to bed early, if that’s okay?” She moved her head away from his with a look of utter disappointment on her face. Daryl smirked. “I ain’t that tired. I don’t think I’ll ever be that tired. Take a shower with me, then we’ll have all night to figure out what we want to do.”  
“Yeah, you smell a little squirrely caveman,” she laughed.  
“Smell like Man!” he replied and sniffed her. “Woman smell squirrely too. Let man wash, make woman smell good.”  
“Mmm, sounds good caveman.” He hauled her up on his shoulder, smacked her ass and headed upstairs to the shower. He put her down once they got inside and closed the door. Daryl turned the water on to let it warm up and Yvonne smacked his ass while he was bent over. “What the hell are you doing woman?” He stalked over to her, backing her up against the door.  
“Nothing. Just a little payback. I can see the appeal.”  
“You think my ass is appealing?”  
“Among other things.” He cupped her cheek in his hand.  
“My ass, and ‘other things’ think you’re pretty appealing too.” He took a step backwards and sat on the edge of the tub. “Take off your clothes baby girl. I want to see you.” She slowly undressed, his eyes burning holes in her skin. When she was completely naked, he crooked his finger telling her to come closer. He stood in front of her and took off his clothes. By this time, the bathroom was becoming quite steamy and Daryl pulled back the curtain and stepped inside. He held his hand out to Yvonne and helped her in. Seeing him standing under the hot, steamy water made her wet. He looked so sexy standing there with water running down his naked body. He put his hands on her hips and spun her around until she was standing under the spray. He ran his hands all over her, feeling the wetness on her skin. His mouth took hers slowly, sensually and soon Yvonne felt him poking her stomach. She reached down and took him in her hand, pumping him slowly from base to tip. A small moan escaped his lips through their kiss, which became more heated and urgent as her movements increased.   
“Fuck baby girl. I don’t wanna cum like this. I wanna be inside you,” he said, his breathing becoming labored. He removed her hand from his cock and turned her so her back was against the tile wall. He bent his head into her neck and began to suck and lick while his hands massaged her breasts. He worked his way down her body until he was on his knees before her. He lifted her leg to his shoulder and grabbed her other thigh to hold her steady as he used his mouth on her. Her soft moans and cries made him even harder and more hungry for her. Taking his arm from the leg on his shoulder, he pushed two fingers inside her. Once he started pumping in and out of her, he could feel she was close; her walls clinching his thick fingers. “Come for me baby girl. I want to taste you.” With those words, she released into his mouth.  
He stood and turned her around placing her hands on the tile. He gently pushed her forward until her ass was rubbing against him. Leaning over her, he trailed kisses down her back and reached his arm around her to hold her breasts. He slowly breeched her wet, hot center with his hard, weeping cock. They moaned and moved together in a perfect rhythm. Soon, his thrusts became harder and faster. She was on the edge again and chanting his name like a prayer, begging him to fuck her harder. He grabbed her hair in his fist and pulled her head back. He attacked her neck with ferocity, sucking the soft and delicate skin into his mouth. “I’m gonna cum baby girl. I’m gonna cum hard inside this tight, wet pussy.” Once again, just the sound of his voice had her spiraling out of control. She screamed his name and came for the second time that night. He soon followed and continued to thrust furiously until he had emptied himself inside her. He wrapped his arms around her as their breathing slowed. She turned in his arms and smiled at him. He touched his lips to hers and lingered there.   
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me Yvonne. I’m never letting you go.”  
She moved her lips against his. “I don’t ever want to be without you. I could never survive if I lost you.” They continued to kiss, but soon separated. “I guess we should wash up now,” she said.  
“Alright.” Daryl took the cloth and ran it across her skin lovingly and Yvonne did the same in return. When they were done, they dried each other off and walked to the bedroom. When she started to put her pajamas on, he stopped her. “I just want to touch you tonight. I want to feel your body against mine.” She nodded her head in compliance and crawled under the sheets. He turned off the lights and crawled in after her. Wrapping his arms around her, he snuggled into the warmth of her back and let sleep take them both.  
Sunday morning came too soon for Daryl. He was rudely awoken by his insistent bladder. He very carefully removed his arms from around his lover and crept quietly down the hall to the bathroom. When he returned, he crept just as quietly back into bed, satisfied that she was still asleep. “Do you feel better now?” she asked him.  
“Damn, I thought I was being quiet. I didn’t meant to wake you sweetheart.”  
“I didn’t hear you, just knew you weren’t here. It’s barley been a day, but I’m already used to you being next to me. I guess we have to go back to reality today, huh?”  
“This is reality. Ain’t nothing gonna be different when we get back. Except maybe now I got a family to come home to? What’s Michael gonna say? Is he gonna be okay with us being together like this?” These questions had been in the back of Daryl’s mind since Friday night.  
“Michael loves you. He thinks you’re the coolest guy in the world. He respects you too. He respects you for standing up to his grandparents for me. He’s gonna be happy about this.”  
“Good. I love him too and don’t want to put a wedge between the two of you. I’d rather bow out now than cause problems with ya’ll.”  
“No worries about that,” she said as she leaned over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. “His bus isn’t due back until three o’clock. It’s only seven now. Do you think we could just spend the rest of our time here, in bed? Maybe we could go back to sleep for a while?”  
“Sure,” Daryl said shifting onto his back. “I thought we could go back to the creek as we’re heading out; have some lunch, maybe take a walk?” Yvonne snuggled into his arms “Sounds perfect,” she said sleepily and soon fell asleep on the pillow of Daryl’s chest.   
They woke three and a half hours later. Daryl took a shower while Yvonne packed a lunch and then Yvonne took hers while Daryl packed their gear. He took one last look around the bedroom he had all those years ago and most recently shared with her. He walked to the window and knelt down in front of it pulling a board up and searching below it. He pulled out a medium size handcrafted wooden box his grandfather had made for him on his ninth birthday. He opened it briefly to check the contents and closed it again. He placed it at the bottom of his backpack and went downstairs. When they arrived at the creek, they decided to take a walk first to build an appetite. They walked hand in hand the full length of the creek. Daryl told her stories from when he and Merle were kids. How their grandfather taught them how to hunt and track in these woods and fish in that creek. He told her about his first kill. It should’ve been Merle’s, but he was too busy complaining about something to pay attention. Daryl stole it right out from under him. When they got back to the truck, they ate the lunch that Yvonne had packed. They sat in silence, the creek the only sound. It reminded Daryl of something.  
“Ya know, the night we met, I had a dream about you. We were here, by the creek, sitting in the truck bed just like this.”  
“Is that all we were doing?”  
Daryl laughed. “No, but I woke up too soon, so it wasn’t much.”  
“Maybe we can come back? Let you finish your dream.”  
“I promise we will. Better head out if we want to get there before the bus does.” They climbed in the truck and as he drove away, Yvonne looked behind them to the spot where her new life began.


	23. Chapter 23 Hall of Mirrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl takes Yvonne to a carnival. Shit is going down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the kudos, hits and subscribers. It makes my heart flutter. I struggled with this one. Wanted it to be perfect. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Chapter 23  
House of Mirrors

Yvonne had forgotten all about the carnival in Senoia. Daryl had mentioned it a long time ago after they first met, but she hadn’t heard a word about it since. They hadn’t seen each other since he brought them home Sunday. They had both been busy with work; Daryl had been going to T’s garage after the construction site every night. He had called her when he got home, though, to tell her how much he loved her. They hadn’t told Michael yet, Daryl wanted them to do it together. They would all go out to dinner, then maybe ice cream or go do something fun.  
The carnival started on Friday and would be in town for a week. Everyone was going together as a group. Daryl, Yvonne, Michael, Rick, Lori, Carl, Merle, Carol, Sophia T-Dog and his girlfriend Jackie. When Yvonne picked up Michael from school that day, they went straight to Carol’s house to meet everybody since Daryl and Merle didn’t want them anywhere near the trailer. Michael and Sophia rode with Carl. Merle and Carol took his truck and Daryl and Yvonne rode with T-Dog and Jackie. Carl was the only one of the kids that had ever been to a carnival before, so he took the lead with Michael and Sophia showing them around.   
Not long after they arrived, the couples went their separate ways agreeing to meet back in two hours for food. Daryl and Yvonne headed to the rides first. Roller coaster, Ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl. They did them all one right after the other. Daryl was having more fun the he had ever had in his life. Yvonne loved it all, except the Ferris wheel. She was afraid of heights. When they were stuck at the top, her breathing quickened and her hands began to shake. Daryl put his arm around her and tucked her into his side. He turned her face to his and kissed her until they were on the ground again. “Thank you. I just get real nervous being off the ground.”  
“No problem darlin’. I’ll always keep you safe. You don’t need to worry about anything when I’m around.” It was almost time to meet the others to eat, so they walked to the pic-nic area. They were too engrossed in each other to notice they were being watched.  
T-Dog, Jackie, Merle, Carol and the kids were anxiously waiting when they arrived .Merle stood to meet Daryl and took him to the side to talk. “I don’t mean to alarm you baby brother, but you and your woman are on somebody’s radar tonight and I think I know who it is.”  
“What the hell? How you figure that shit?”  
“There’s three men been just about everywhere ya’ll been. Carol and I been shadowing ya since we got here I saw a familiar truck in the lot and got suspicious.”  
“Who the hell is it Merle?” Daryl said, rage building in his bones.  
“I think it’s Joe and Len. That was Joe’s truck I saw and if I ain’t with him, he’s got Len by his side. Keep an eye out and you might want to talk to your buddies and get them looking out too.”  
“He ain’t getting near her Merle. I’ll kill him!”  
“Well, it’s a good thing you got a deputy on your side. None of us are gonna let that happen Daryl. She’s safe, ain’t none of us gonna let anything happen to her.”  
“I know Merle. Just don’t do anything that’s gonna put yourself in danger. Neither of them is right in the head. They’re a danger to all of us.”  
“No need to worry ‘bout me baby brother. Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon, remember?”  
“Yeah brother, I remember.” When they joined the others, Rick and Lori were sitting at the table with the rest of them. The men went to get food and drinks, keeping the women in their sights. It took two trips for all of it. They had burgers, hot dogs, fries and funnel cakes. The kids wanted ice cream and the adults agreed to the request, but told them they would have to wait until later so they wouldn’t get sick. When they were finished, they all made trips to the bathroom. As Yvonne came out, she was startled by someone calling her name.   
“Ms. Bradley, it’s nice to see you again, under better circumstances. How have you been?”  
“Officer Walsh, I didn’t know you would be here tonight. Are you working?”  
“Yes ma’am. I volunteered for security detail. Just because I don’t have a girl to bring, don’t mean I have to miss out on all the fun,” Shane replied.   
‘That’s a good attitude Officer Walsh.”  
“Please call me Shane. How have you been doing? Everything okay?”  
“Yes, Shane, I’m doing good. It took a while to heal, but I’m doing better now. Thank you for asking. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to everyone. It was nice seeing you again.” As she passed him, he grabbed her wrist.  
“You shouldn’t be alone our here ya know. After dark, it can get dangerous.”  
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m with Daryl. Rick, T-Dog, and Merle are with us too. I’ll be safe.” She pulled her arm from Shane’s grasp and walked back toward the group. Daryl met her halfway. “What the hell was that? What the fuck did that asshole say to you?”  
“He wanted to know how I’ve been. He was concerned.”  
“The fuck he was concerned! I want you to stay away from him. I don’t trust him. You don’t leave my side tonight, you hear me.”   
“Yes Daryl. I wasn’t planning on being away from you, but you need to calm down. I don’t know why you don’t trust him and I doubt you’ll tell me, but he can’t hurt me. I told him I was here with you, Merle, Rick and T-Dog, and that there was no reason to worry about me.”  
“That all he wanted?”  
“He said I shouldn’t be walking around alone after dark. That this place is dangerous.”  
“He’s right, but you ain’t alone. You haven’t been alone all night and you’re not gonna be alone ever again. You and Michael are sticking with me.” He kissed her forehead gently and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked over to the group. It had been decided that Merle, Carol and the kids would go with Daryl and Yvonne. Rick and Lori would go with T-Dog and Jackie. The kids wanted to play the games, so they all went to win as many prizes they could.  
Shane watched them from the shadows. Both those Dixon boys were gonna be in a world of hurt by the time it was all over. He’d make sure of that. Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one who had it in for the Dixons. “Hey there cousin. You having a good night so far?”  
“Hey man, where the hell you been? I’ve been tailing your girl and that damn Dixon all night. What the hell have you been doing?”  
“Same thing as you cuz,” Len answered. “I just been getting a different perspective than you, I reckon. Saw ya talkin’ to her too.”  
“Just expressing my concern for her well-being man. Didn’t mean nothin’ by it. I’m looking out for your girl Len. You should appreciate that. We just gotta bide our time. The Dixons are fuck ups. Daryl’s a fool if he thinks he can keep her. She deserves better than that trash. We’re gonna make sure she gets it.”   
“Hello boys.” Joe slinked up behind them. “You two doing some familial bonding?”  
“Just keeping an eye on her boss. What’d you see?” Len asked.  
“I’ve been tracking the traitor. Looks like he’s trying to get in good with your partner, Shane. May have to take him out too.”  
“You can send them all to hell for as many fucks as I give boss. As long as I get that sweet, blonde pussy, I don’t care what you do.” Len said and eyed Yvonne from the shadows.  
“That’s you own situation to take care of Len. It gets fucked up, it’s on you. All I give a shit about is finally getting rid of goddamn Merle. Man’s been a fuckin’ pain in my ass for years now. Motherfucker takes more than he sells and he ain’t getting away with that shit no more. He and little D know too much about what we do. That dumbass cop friend of his thinks he’s gonna get us, but he’s wrong.” Joe turned his back to Shane and Len and walked back into the shadows.  
Lori, Jackie, Carol and Yvonne had so many stuffed animals, they had to get the guys to carry some. None of them minded except for Merle, who told Carol she was gonna owe him big time for making him look like a pussy in front of all those people. Carl and Michael had competed to win a prize for Sophia and both had been victorious. When the carnival closed, the group headed to the parking lot. As everyone was saying their goodbyes, Michael walked up to Daryl. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Sure buddy. What do you want to know?”  
“Are you momma’s boyfriend now?” Daryl was more surprised by the timing of the question rather than the question itself.   
“Your momma and I wanted to talk to you about that. Would you be okay with it if I was?” Daryl asked tentatively.  
Michael thought for a second. “Yeah, I’d be okay with it. Momma hasn’t smiled this much in forever. And you treat her good, and you’re nice to me. I like you a lot and I know mamma does too. You’re not like my daddy. She always cried when he was around. I’m okay with it, just promise me something.”  
“Anything Michael.”  
“Don’t hurt her and don’t leave her.”  
“I’m gonna do everything in my power to never hurt your momma. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew I was responsible or causing her pain; and I ain’t never leaving her, or you. Ya’ll are my family now. I can’t lose ya’ll. I love both of ya and I’m gonna be here forever.”  
“Good.” Michael said and went to say goodbye to Carl. Yvonne and Lori had planned a sleepover for the boys since they had gotten along so well together. Merle waited until everyone had left before he pulled out of the lot. He was staying at Carol’s and Daryl was gonna drive Yvonne and Michael home in their car. As they were on their way to Woodbury, Yvonne thought it might be a good time for her and Daryl to talk to Michael.  
“Honey, there’s something Daryl and I want to talk to you about.”  
“If it’s about ya’ll dating, I’m good with it.” Michael said.  
Daryl looked over at her and put his hand on her knee. “We talked about it. We’re all good sweetheart. We’ve got an understanding.”  
“Oh, okay. Well, I’m glad I was involved.” She looked at Daryl and smiled. When they got to the house, he walked inside with them and Yvonne grabbed him a beer from the fridge. “I assume you’ll be staying tonight, since you don’ have a ride home.”  
“I was hoping for an invitation. I don’t like to make assumptions.”  
“You’re invited. Neither of us work tomorrow, we can be lazy.”  
Daryl put his arms around Yvonne and backed her into the kitchen counter. “I’ll be as lazy as you want tomorrow, but I’ve got some energy to burn tonight, if you’re not too tired.”  
“I don’t think I’ll ever be that tired,” she said, repeating Daryl’s own words. “I’ve got to get Michael in bed first.”  
“Alright,” he kissed her. “I’ll go with you. I wanna say goodnight.” Michael was exhausted and asleep before his head hit the pillow. Yvonne led Daryl to her bedroom and closed the door as Daryl sat on the edge of the bed. As she walked to him, she shed her shirt and bra leaving them strewn across the floor. He reached out for her and pulled her to him. “We have to be quiet,” she said, holding his face in her hands.  
“I can do that baby girl. I’m not so sure about you though.” He gently placed his kips on the soft skin of her stomach. His tongue glided across the expanse of her, dipping into her navel. He pulled her onto his lap and took one breast into his mouth. She reached between them to the button of his jeans. He tucked her body into his and moved her onto the bed. He stood and finished taking off his pants and pulled off his shirt. He leaned over and slid her pants from her body. He climbed on top of her, spreading her legs with his knees. He took her lips with passion and reached down to stroke her gently. His lips muffled her moans. When he released her, he used his free hand to take her wrists and put them above her head. His other hand went from her wet heat to his own throbbing erection. He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed himself inside her. His hungry eyes never left her body until he was fully seated inside her and he closed them and stilled his body.   
“I love you baby girl. You’re mine. You belong to me forever.” He pulled out until only his tip remained and he thrusted powerfully back into her. His free hand roamed her body from her thighs to her breasts. He leaned down on top of her, letting go of her wrists and settling both hands by her sides to prop himself up. She was trying so hard to suppress her moans, but as his thrusts increased in sped, she couldn’t control herself. She could feel the pressure building in her lower stomach and breathlessly whispered, “I’m gonna cum Daryl.” He buried his head in her neck and began to suck ferociously as she came undone beneath him. Feeling her body convulse pulled his orgasm from his body and he loaned loud but low.  
“I love you Daryl,” she whispered in his ear. “Forever.” He lifted his head from her neck and looked at her with love and admiration. He placed a chaste kiss upon her lips before placing another on the heart she wore between her breasts.  
“Forever. I promise you baby. I’ll never leave you. I couldn’t live without you. You are my fucking life.” He pulled his softening cock from her and lay on his back. He stayed there with his eyes closed as Yvonne began to stroke his bare chest with her fingers. “You better be ready to go again, ‘cause if you don’t stop that, I will be.”  
“No Daryl. I’m pretty worn out now. I just love touching you, but I think we should get some sleep. I have a feeling Michael’s gonna have a problem with us having a lazy day.”  
“He made me promise to never hurt you or leave you.” Daryl said running his fingers through her hair  
“He’s such a sweet boy. He’s very protective of me.”  
“He should be. Any man who doesn’t feel the need to protect what he loves, ain’t a man. It was the easiest promise I’ve ever made baby. And I’ll damn sure die before I break it.” As they got settled in bed together, arms around each other, Daryl hoped like hell that whatever shit storm was coming for them he would be able to save her and Michael from it.


	24. Chapter 24 OPERATION: Take out Dixons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the hits, kudos, comments and subscribers! Ya'll rock. This is a long one. Please don't kill me Debbie! There is smut at the end for you.

Chapter 24  
OPERATION: Take out Dixons

Monday morning was hard for Yvonne and Michael. Neither was ready or willing to get out of bed. It was cloudy and rain was expected for later. Yvonne loved rain showers and thunderstorms. It was the perfect excuse for lying in bed with a book. Finally, she got up and woke Michael as well. On their way to school, Michael asked her if Daryl was going to move in with them.  
“I don’t know honey. We haven’t talked about it and I think it’s a little too soon to be thinking about it. We live in separate towns. Daryl lives and works in Senoia. He would have to find another job and I think he likes where is just fine. Don’t worry Michael, you’ll see him plenty.”  
“Do you think it would be okay if I called him dad?”  
“Are you sure about that? It’s an awful big step.”  
“He promised me he’d be around forever, I might as well call him dad. That’s what he’s gonna be, right?”  
“You’ll have to ask him that, but I don’t think he’ll have a problem with it. In fact, I think it will make him very happy.” As she pulled out of the school parking lot, the grey Silverado truck parked across the street went unnoticed.  
Daryl had a hell of a day. He kept thinking about Joe and Len all morning. He hadn’t told Yvonne about what Merle had said to him that night at the carnival. He knew she still thought about the attack and knowing that Len was roaming the streets again had them both on edge. His concentration was in the shitter. When it was lunch time, he called Yvonne to check up on her. She happened to be on break and they talked for a while and decided that Daryl would come over for dinner. He had to stop by T-Dog’s garage again, but would be over after that. While he and Yvonne were talking, Merle called Carol. He made sure she and Sophia were safe and planned on seeing them for dinner tonight. The rest of their lunch was spent in Daryl’s truck discussing the Len and Joe situation.  
“Haven’t seen or heard from none of the boys since I saw Joe’s truck at the carnival,” Merle said, taking a drag off his cigarette. “That’s not good baby brother. I should’ve heard from Joe by now. He usually sends me out with product on Sunday. There’s something going on. Good thing your girl lives in Woodbury, she’s probably safer there, away from this shit. I wouldn’t put it passed those asshole to find her though. Len’s a crazy motherfucker and you know what he’s capable of. You know what he’s done in the past. Might be a good idea to keep close to that girl of yours and her boy.”  
“You don’t have to tell me that shit Merle! I do know what that motherfucker’s done! I’ve seen half of it! I’ve seen what he does to women Merle. I’ll be goddamned if I let him do it to her. I don’ know what to do except take time off work, but I can’t afford it. She can’t do it either. If I could, I’d take her and Michael and get the fuck outta town.”  
“Then do it. You’ve got sick days and vacation time. Take it and get her and her boy up to granddaddy’s cabin. I’m thinking about doing the same with Carol and Sophia. Joe knows that when it comes down to it, I’m gonna choose my family over him and that I’m gonna do everything I can to protect you and your family. That means they’ll be after me too, I gotta protect mine too baby brother.”  
“I’m gonna talk to Rick tonight,” Daryl said as he got out of the truck. “I’m gonna see what’s going on, see if there’s anything that can be done. I won’t lose her or Michael and I will kill anyone who tries to hurt them or take them away from me.”  
Len sat in his Silverado eating his drive-thru burger and fries. He could see Yvonne through the front windows of the diner. He’d been sitting there for most of her shift and had followed her around since she left her house this morning. A plan was forming in his feeble mind. He couldn’t give a shit less about the boy, he could dispose of him pretty easy; he’s had to do that before. Shane had promised him that little D would be taken care of personally He’s supposed to be tailing that little shit all day. Joe was taking on Merle himself, he had plans for him and his old woman. Len’s eyes never left Yvonne. He certainly enjoyed seeing her in that short skirt and button-up top; her tits looked like they were gonna bust through it. He imagined all the things he was gonna do to her. The fact that little D was gonna end up dead, made him smile.  
When Merle left the construction site, he went straight to Carol’s house. He had been a very lucky man that she had forgiven him and let him back into her and Sophia’s lives. Joe and the boys had been her reason for kicking him out. She didn’t want their influence, drugs or criminal activities around her daughter. Merle could understand that, but chose them and the drugs over her. Since realizing what evil was in their heads, especially Len, he had been trying to give up the drugs and separate himself from them. Carol had certainly helped with that and he had told her he loved her. He truly wanted to be a better man and spend the rest of his life with her and be a real father to Sophia. He wanted to marry her and had gone Saturday to buy a ring. Knowing he didn’t have much time before the shit hit the fan, he planned on asking her tonight. He no longer begrudged Daryl his love for Yvonne. He was no longer scared of losing his brother because he knew Daryl would always be there and now, Merle could have his own family too. He was to engrossed in thought to notice Joe’s truck a couple of vehicles behind him.  
When Daryl got to the garage, T was in the office on the computer. “Hey D, how you doing?”  
“Just fine, tired though. Got too much shit on my mind. This thing with Joe’s boys and Yvonne . . . it scares the fuck outta me.”  
T-Dog stopped what he was doing and gave Daryl his full attention. “Talked to Rick today. He wants to talk to both of us. I think he’s got news on that front. Have you talked to Yvonne today?”  
“Yeah, called her at lunch. She was on break and couldn’t talk long. She’s trying to act like she’s not scared shitless, but I know she is. Gonna go to her house when I leave here, she’s making dinner.”  
“I’d keep an eye on her and Michael. He’s a good kid, seems like they have a good relationship.”  
“He gave me the speech after the carnival. Made me promise not to leave or hurt her. He’s gonna be a good man when he grows up.”  
“Don’t doubt it, especially with a mom like her. You can tell how much she loves him. You think ya’ll might ever have one of your own?” T smiled.  
“Aw hell, ain’t thinking of that shit yet. Let me get used to having a woman first. I love that kid like he was my own, man. I don’t know nothing about being a dad, well, nothing good anyway.”  
“Don’t doubt yourself man. Just let them lead you. It’ll be easier than you think. Well, I’m gonna get my ass outta here. I’m taking Jackie to the movies, can’t be late. Talk to ya later D. If anything happens, or you need me, call.”  
“I will. Now go get your girl. I won’t be here long.” After T left, he went to the bike in the corner. He’d been building this thing for the past two weeks and would be finished by the weeks end. He wanted to take Yvonne out on it. She had mentioned that she’d never ridden one before, but had always wanted to. He wanted to feel her body pressed against his back and her arms wrapped around him. As he was tinkering with the bike, he heard one coming toward the shop. He stopped what he was doing and looked out the crack in the garage doors. He couldn’t see clearly, but could tell there was a motorcycle in the lot. He took out his cell phone and called Rick.  
“I’m glad you called Daryl. There’s something I need to talk to you and T-Dog about.”  
“Later man. I’m at the garage and there’s somebody on a bike out here in the lot. They got their lights off and I can’t tell who it is. I don’t think Joe or any of them dipshits got a bike. I’m gonna go out there, see what they want.”  
“Don’t do it Daryl. Unless you got your bow, do not confront whoever it is. May not be Joe or Len, but it could be someone they know. Stay in the shop. I’m on my way, gonna bring the cruiser.”  
“Alright, my truck is setting out there. Whoever it is knows I’m here. I’m gonna call Yvonne, check up on her.”  
“Good. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Daryl hung up and dialed Yvonne’s number. She didn’t answer and it went straight to voicemail. He tried not to worry and left a very calm message to call him as soon as possible. There was no noise outside, not footsteps, not the sound of an engine, nothing. He hung around the doors trying to listen, but heard nothing. A few minutes later he heard the siren from Rick’s cruiser and the sound of the bike starting up. He pushed the doors open and saw dirt and dust kick up as the motorcycle sped out of the parking lot. As the bike sped away under the street light, Daryl noticed something about it that was very familiar.  
Rick was going to follow the bike as it peeled out of the lot until he saw Daryl run in front of the cruiser. He slammed on the brakes, narrowly missing his best friend. “What the fuck Daryl! I’m gonna go after him!”  
“No Rick! Don’t! I know who it is!”  
“How do you know who it is? I thought you couldn’t see him.”  
“I couldn’t until he passed under the street light. He was wearing a helmet, but I recognized the bike.”  
“Where’ve you seen the bike?” Rick asked getting impatient.  
“Here, at the garage. It’s a Triumph Bonneville.” Rick’s cell phone rang as the realization hit him. He took his phone out of his pocket and assuming it was Lori, he answered without checking it.  
“Rick, do you know where Daryl is?” Yvonne’s worried voice was on the other end.  
“Yeah, Yvonne. I’m here at the garage with him. Hold on.” He handed the phone to Daryl. “She sounds worried.” Daryl quickly took the phone.  
“Hey baby, are you okay?” Daryl asked full of adrenaline.  
“Yes. I missed your call because I was starting dinner and left my phone in my purse. I didn’t hear it. You sounded worried in your message and I called you back, but you didn’t answer. I was getting scared, so I called Rick.”  
“Yeah baby, I’m fine. I was just worried when you didn’t pick up. I’m gonna finish up with Rick and then I’ll be over for dinner. Just promise me you and Michael will stay in the house. Lock the doors and windows, but stay alert. Keep an eye outside, if you see anything suspicious call me or Rick. Promise me.”  
“I promise Daryl, but I wanted to tell you that there’s a truck parked across the street. It pulled up as Michael and I were walking home from next door. The windows are tinted and his lights are off. I don’t know who it is, but no one’s got in or out of it since it got here.”  
“You sit tight. Do what I said and stay away from the doors and windows. Do not open the door for anyone but me. I’ll call you when I get there so you’ll know it’s me. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I love you.”  
“I love you too Daryl. Please hurry, but be careful.”  
“I will sweetheart. I’ll see ya’ll soon.” Daryl gave the phone back to Rick. “I think Len is staking out her house. Sounds like his truck sitting across the street. I gotta go.”  
Rick reached out and grabbed him by the arm. “You’re sure about what you saw? You’re positive it was Shane’s bike?”  
“Never been more sure. That last night, when I bailed Merle outta jail, he threatened me and her. I don’t trust him. I thing he was trying something at the carnival. I saw him talking to her and she said he was concerned about her. He’s up to something. I gotta go. We’ll talk later.” Daryl jumped in his truck as fast as he could and hightailed it out of there.  
He slowed the truck as he turned onto Yvonne’s street. He could see the truck in his headlights and knew who it was. He pulled into the driveway and grabbed his bow as he jumped out. The truck sped away as he reached the end of the drive. Cursing loudly, he turned around and went up to the door. Yvonne swung the door wide open and jumped into his arms. He held her tight and breathed a sigh of relief in her ear. “Thank God you’re safe. I tried to get here as fast as I could. That was Len’s truck sweetheart, I’d know it anywhere.”  
“He’s been sitting outside my fucking house! How the hell did he find out where I lived? Oh God! What the hell am I gonna do? What about Michael? He could’ve gotten into the damn house! Daryl, what am I gonna do?” She held onto him so tightly he thought she was gonna strangle him. He felt like a piece of shit. He should’ve been there, he should’ve been keeping an eye on them both. Fuck he was useless. He had promised Paul he would never let her get hurt again. He was such a goddamn failure. He was gonna lose them and it would be his fault.  
“Shush darlin’. He’s gone, ya’ll are safe now. Where’s Michael? He okay?”  
“He’s in his room doing homework. I told him to stay in there until I came to get him. I think he’s scared too.” Daryl locked the door behind him and led her into the living room.”  
“Let’s go get him. I don’t want to scare him anymore than he already is, but we all need to discuss this. He doesn’t need to know everything, but he needs to know to watch out for himself. We’re gonna make a plan.”  
Once they were all seated at the table and eating, Michael asked about the truck that had been parked across the street. Yvonne and Daryl looked at each other not knowing exactly what to tell him. Thankfully, Daryl took the lead. “Well, there’s some bad people out there buddy. I need you to know that I’m not letting them get near you or your mom. The three of us are gonna go away for a while, get outta town while things calm down a bit. Would you like to go spend some time out in the woods in my cabin?”  
“That would be awesome!” Michael exclaimed. “But what about the bad guys? Whose gonna get them?”  
“My friend Rick, he’s a sheriff’s deputy. He’s got some information on them and we found out something interesting tonight. I think he can handle it just fine. It’s my job to keep you and your momma safe. The best way I can do that is for us to stay together and get out of town for a while.”  
“Okay, but what about school?”  
“I’ll talk to your teacher tomorrow morning when I drop you off. I’ll get her to give you your school work for the week so you won’t be behind when we get back home. I’ll have to take off from work too. I’ll take care of that tomorrow also. What about you Daryl? When do you want to leave?”  
“The sooner, the better. Tomorrow night if we can. Best to travel at night, it’ll make us harder to track.”  
“Okay, Michael and I will pack our bags and we can leave as soon as we all get home tomorrow.” After dinner, Michael got ready and went to sleep. Daryl was already lying in bed when Yvonne came in. “Okay, tell me the truth. What does Rick know and what did ya’ll find out tonight?” she said as she sat on the edge of the bed, her back to Daryl. He sat up and put his arms around her from behind.  
“Shane’s been following me. When I was at the garage, a bike parked out in the lot. He had his lights off and I couldn’t see him. I called Rick and he showed up in the cruiser, lights and sirens blaring. The guy shot outta there like a bat outta hell. When he got onto the street, I was able to see the bike. It was a Triumph Bonneville. The only one I’ve ever seen up close belongs to Shane Walsh.” Yvonne stood and walked to her dresser, taking out a pair of sleep shorts and a tank.   
“Why would he follow you? What could he possibly have against you?” she asked and sat back on the bed.  
“A few weeks ago I had to bail Merle outta jail. You remember the day T towed your car for ya? Well, that night after I left here, Merle called me to come pick him up. He’d beaten some poor Asian delivery boy almost to death. Anyway, when I got there, Shane was bringing him outta holding and said a few things while Rick was getting Merle sprung.”  
“What did he say?” she asked, not knowing if she wanted to hear.  
“He said I needed to keep my eyes on you. That a woman like you wouldn’t stay with a man like me for long. He said a better man would take you away from me.”  
She cradled his face in her hands. “There is no better man than you Daryl Dixon. Certainly not him. Now I see why you don’t trust him. You don’t think he has anything to do with Len or Joe do you?”  
“I don’t know. Rick’s gonna check things out, I’m sure. If he’s smart, he’ll check out his work record from Atlanta, see if he had any problems there.” He paused and looked into her eyes. “I was so scared when I found out you were being watched by that sick bastard. He’s nothing to take lightly. I’ve known him since I was fourteen years old and he’s done some sick, depraved shit in his life. Things he should be in prison for right now. He’s raped, murdered and because of Joe, he’s never been caught. Joe protects him ‘cause he does his dirty work for him. He’s got something wrong in his head. The way he sees things, it just ain’t right. That’s why I want to get you and Michael out of town. I don’t know how he found you, but he touches you over my dead body.”  
“Don’t say that Daryl. If what you say is true, I wouldn’t doubt they’d try to kill you,” she said and started to cry. He lie back on the bed and pulled her with him. He put his arms around her and kissed her lips. “Don’t worry baby girl, they can’t hurt me. Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon. You remember that. Now let’s stop talking ‘bout them bastards. I want to make love to my woman.” He brought her to him for another kiss and pulled her body over his. Their hands roamed each other’s body and they undressed each other. Yvonne straddled his legs and leaned over to take his mouth. She moved down his body to his neck, chest, stomach and hips. As she was about to take him into her mouth, he stopped her. “No baby. Want to make love to you. Want to be inside you. Ride me baby girl.” He lifted her by the hips and positioned her over his rock hard cock. As she lowered herself onto him she looked into his eyes. They were dark and looking back at her. She loved the look on his face as he entered her. She’d never seen that look on a man’s face before him. He moaned loudly when she bottomed out on his cock and put his hands on her hips and held her there. “Baby girl, you are so fucking perfect. So tight, so wet, so warm. Just for me. Say it baby girl. I need to hear you say it.”  
She leaned over and put her hands on his chest. She whispered in his ear, “Only for you. My pussy belongs to you, no one else. And your cock belongs to me.” She sat up and began to gyrate her hips slowly while rubbing her hands down his chest. He held a bruising death grip on her hips as she began to bounce up and down on his shaft. His hands moved to her breasts and he squeezed them and pinched her nipples. Her breathing became erratic and he knew she was close. He moved one hand down to the place where they were connected and began to rub her clit. Her moaning became so out of control that he pulled her down on him and silenced her with his mouth. Soon she came undone above him and went limp in his arms. He rolled them over to where he was on top of her now. He lifted her legs and held them, hovering above her head. He began to thrust harder and deeper inside her and she felt herself losing control again. As she came for the second time that night, she opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. When he felt her walls clamp down on his cock, he came undone as well and furiously pumped himself until he had emptied inside her. He pulled out and collapsed by her side. “Fuck I love you,” he said and curled up around her putting his head on her chest. “Can’t lose you. I’d fucking die if I lost you.” Yvonne wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve never loved anyone this much Daryl. You’ll never lose me. I’ll always be here. I can’t lose you either. I can’t be alone again, it would kill me.” She leaned over and turned off the bedside lamp. They drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms. Len stubbed out his cigarette with his boot as he turned and walked away from Yvonne’s bedroom window.


	25. Chapter 25 When a Plan Comes Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes baaad!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this is late. Life is hectic! Thank you for all the kudos, hits and comments. I love you all!!!!! I hope you like this one. Please don't hate or kill me.

Chapter 25  
When a plan comes together

Merle, Carol and Sophia were on their way to the cabin. He had talked to Daryl this morning and agreed that they would gather up their women and kids and wait it out in the woods. Joe and the boys didn’t know about it. Merle didn’t give a shit about much except family. His granddaddy was the only member who ever gave a shit about him, besides Daryl of course. There was no way in hell he was gonna give Joe access to the only thing he had left from the only family that ever loved him. After the girls packed their bags, Carol called Sophia’s school to tell them she wouldn’t be in for a few days because they had to go to a funeral out of town. When they left Carol’s place, they went by the trailer so Merle could grab some stuff. Before they walked out the front door to leave, Merle put his arm around her waist. “Are you ready to do this? You sure you want to?”  
“Yes Merle,” she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I waited years to be your wife. I’m not waiting any longer.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly. “Let’s go get hitched Mr. Dixon.”

 

While Merle hadn’t bothered calling into work, Daryl had gone in for the day. He hoped when this was all over, he’d still have a job to go to. He dropped Michael off at school and waited for Yvonne to talk to his teacher. When they arrived at the diner, he wouldn’t let her out until she promised to be careful and keep her eyes out for Len and his truck. She did and said she would call him the minute anything happened. He gave her a desperate kiss as if he might never see her again. “I love you more than my own life. I’ll die to keep you safe.”  
“Don’t say that. I’m scared enough as it is. I don’t want to think about losing you.” Daryl leaned his forehead to hers, “You ain’t gonna lose me, I ain’t gonna lose you. You gotta trust me, believe me.”  
“I trust you with my life and Michael’s. You have to promise me the same. Be careful, keep an eye out for Shane. Let me know if you hear anything from Rick.” He moved away from her and sighed. “I promise baby. Go to work, try not to worry too much. I’ll call you later and pick you up after work.” Yvonne got out of the truck and went inside the diner. He didn’t leave until he saw she was safely behind the counter with Beth and Amy. As soon as he drove out of the lot, he called Merle to confirm their plans, after that, he called T-Dog and then Rick. Rick had looked at Shane’s work record from Atlanta. Apparently, he had an affair with the Sheriff’s wife and got her pregnant. Since the sheriff’s department didn’t want that information made public, they gave him the option to move as far away as he could get and continue his law enforcement career in a smaller town. Shane had requested Senoia specifically, stating that he had family here.  
“Who’s his family?” Daryl asked.  
“Don’t know for sure. He’s never mentioned having any family, at least not to me. Don’t recall ever seeing him around town with anybody, but I’m gonna find out. I’m gonna see if I can’t pull his personnel file and see who’s listed as his next of kin.”  
“Alright. I’m heading into work. Merle called in today ‘cause he’s taking Carol and Sophia up to the cabin early. I’m getting Yvonne and Michael after work and taking them up there then. Could you do me a favor?”  
“Of course Daryl. What do you need?”  
“I already talked to T about this. I need you to go to the garage and take my bike, the one I been building, and keep it at your place. I’m afraid Shane might go back there. If he know it’s mine, God knows what he’ll do to it. T’s not opening the shop today. After what happened last night, he’s laying low, keeping the garage closed.”  
“Sure, of course. Can’t guarantee that Carl won’t try to mess with it though,” he said with a laugh.  
“You better, or it’s both ya’lls asses.”  
“Fine. If I find out anything, I’ll call ya. If something happens, call me. You know I’d do anything to help you. You and Yvonne. Merle too if you insist.”  
“Merle ain’t gonna ask for nothing from you or me either. Stubborn, tough ass son of a bitch, he is.”  
“I know. I’ll talk to ya later D. Please be careful.”  
“You know I will. I ain’t gonna do nothing stupid.” Daryl pulled into work after talking to Rick. He wasn’t gonna be able to concentrate for shit. Maybe they’ll send him home early.

 

Merle had his arm wrapped around Carol’s waist as they exited the courthouse. Getting the license hadn’t taken as long as they thought and now . . . now he was looking at his beautiful wife, Mrs. Carol Dixon. As soon as this shit was over, he planned on having papers drawn up to adopt Sophia. The cabin was a couple of hours away and the little girl was so excited, she didn’t stop talking the whole way. As they approached the dirt road that would eventually lead them to the cabin, Merle felt something was wrong. There were tire tracks on the road ahead of them. He knew Daryl wasn’t there yet and no one had been here since him and Yvonne. He drove up slowly until he saw it, Joe’s truck parked by the creek. He and Tony were standing beside it smoking. As he got closer to them, Joe stood in the middle of the road, stopping the truck from going any further. “Well Merle, what do you think you’re doing? You planning on taking a vacation?”  
Merle looked over at Carol and took her hand, the one wearing his ring. “Don’t get out of this truck, neither of ya. I’m gonna talk to this son of a bitch and get us the hell outta here.” He slowly got out of the truck and sauntered over to where Joe and Tony were standing. “What’s on your mind brother? This important enough to interrupt time with my woman?”  
“Brothers don’t steal from each other Merle. I know you’re keeping most of my shit and not selling it. That’s money out of my pocket, brother.”  
“Give me a few days. I can pay ya for it. I ain’t doing that shit anymore.”  
“That’s good to hear Merle, proud of ya. It don’t make a damn bit of difference though. Still gonna hafta teach ya a lesson.” Joe quickly pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans and sent two bullets in Merle’s direction. One hitting his shoulder, the other through his leg.

 

The closer it got to six o’clock, the more nervous Yvonne became. She hadn’t heard from Daryl since he dropped her off at work this morning. She had called Caleb’s mother to make sure that they had gotten home and the boys were safe. Now she was just waiting. Beth and Zach were sitting in a booth with her while she waited for Daryl. At ten minutes after six, she got a text alert from him.  
Running late. Be there soon sweet cheeks.  
“Is that Daryl?” Zach asked.  
“Yeah, but it don’t sound like him.”  
“What does that mean?” Beth asked.  
“He called me sweet cheeks. He’s never called me that before. Always sweetheart or darlin’ and sometimes baby girl when we’re um . . . um . . . yeah.”  
“I hope that’s not code for something’s wrong. We’ll stay with you until we see the truck pull up. Make sure it’s him.” Zach re-assured her.  
“Thanks Zach, you’re a good man,” Yvonne said as they saw headlights pulling into the parking lot. He parked under the street light that was burned out. They all stood and walked out the door as he got out of the truck. The three of them walked to the truck together. He started walking toward them, meeting them halfway. As they got closer to each other, she could see his face in the light from the diner sign. She screamed as he pulled a gun and shot Beth and Zach. She turned to run away, but he was on her fast. “Long time, no see sweet cheeks. Been watching you and that piece of filth flaunting it around town, I told you that you was mine and I’m gonna make sure you know that.” Len grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the truck. She screamed and fought until he’d had enough of her shit. He took the butt of his gun and slammed her in the head with it.

 

Daryl had left work two hours after he got there. His head was so full of shit that he couldn’t do anything right. Finally the guys had convinced him to start his vacation early. They didn’t have to tell him twice. He went straight to the sheriff’s station to see Rick. He thought maybe they could go to the garage together, for safety reasons. He went to Rick’s desk the moment he walked through the doors.  
“Thank God Daryl! I’s just about to call you. We have to talk, but not here.” Rick said as soon as Daryl appeared in front of him.  
“Yeah, that’s what I came to do. Want us to go to the garage together, just in case.”  
“Perfect. You shouldn’t be out and about too much. Makes finding ya a lot easier,” Rick said as he grabbed his jacket and keys and ushered Daryl out the front door. Once they were in the squad car, Daryl spoke up.  
“What are you talking about Rick?”  
“Shane didn’t come in to work today. Didn’t call or nothing. Sheriff wants me to go to his house and check on him, but I’ll bet you a load of horseshit he ain’t there.”  
“I haven’t seen him today. Been keeping an eye out for that bike. He must be hiding somewhere,” Daryl said.  
“Don’t know if he’s been following you or not. He could be hanging out with his cousin,” Rick said as he sped down the road toward T’s garage.  
“Who’s his cousin?” Daryl asked wearily.  
“You’re gonna shit yourself when I tell you.”  
“Just fucking tell me Rick or I’m gonna stomp your ass!”  
Rick took a deep breath and held it for a second before he exhaled and said, “Len.”  
“What! We gotta find that motherfucker Rick! Both of ‘em.” Daryl felt like he was gonna explode. This sure did explain a hell of a lot. Shane’s ‘concern’ for Yvonne and his threats to Daryl. Len told him about the whole thing and Shane was probably more than eager to help him out.  
“Well, seeing as how the sheriff already asked me to do that, I guess we best get out search started.” They pulled into the lot at the garage and saw T’s truck sitting there, but the bay doors were closed. They walked slowly and carefully to the windows and looked inside. They both gasped when they saw T-Dog’s body lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Daryl started banging on the door and screaming T’s name. Rick turned around to run to the car and call for backup, when he heard a familiar voice. Shane was leaning against the passenger’s side of the vehicle, with his hands in his pockets. “Well, hey Rick, Daryl. Shouldn’t ya’ll be working instead of playing with your friends?”  
“Sheriff sent me to find you Shane. No one’s heard anything from ya. We was all worried.”  
“I’m sure ya’ll were. Nothing to be worried about. I got everything under control,” Shane said and looked at Daryl.  
Daryl didn’t take his eyes off T. “What did ya do to him Shane?” he asked the man.  
“I didn’t do nothing ‘little D’. Man’s clumsy as fuck. I guess you must’ve spilt some oil on the floor when you were here last night and he just slipped. Went down like a bag of hammers. Now I’m sure he won’t blame you, ya’ll being such good friends and all. Thought maybe we could have us a little pow-wow. Get some things out in the open.”  
Daryl took that as his cue and rushed at the deputy, pushing his body into the cruiser. “You’re gonna fucking pay for this motherfucker. I’m gonna kill you and that fucking retard you’re related to.” Rick came up behind him and pulled him off Shane.  
He smirked at Daryl. “Doesn’t surprise me assaulting an officer would be one of your specialties Dixon. I was right about you. That girl’s gonna see the error of her ways.” Daryl struggled against Rick’s hold and was foaming at the mouth to get his hands on the man. Shane leaned up and walked toward them.  
“Shane, just stay back. We need to call an ambulance for T. Just let me get to the radio and then we can talk shit out,” Rick said trying to prevent the situation from escalating.  
“See, Rick, I can’t let you do that.” Shane walked in circles furiously rubbing his head. “I made a promise to my family Rick. You don’t turn your back of family. Blood is blood, right Dixon? You of all people should know where I’m coming from here. I know the things you’ve done for Merle; the illegal things, the lies, the beat downs. I bet Rick don’t know half the shit you’ve done in the name of family. I know that Lenny can be a bit rambunctious at times. He’s got into trouble his whole life, but that’s why I’m here. I came here to take care of him. I came to make things easier for him. He’s gonna concentrate on that beautiful piece of ass, and I’m gonna concentrate on ending your life.”  
“You’re fucking insane Shane,” Rick said. “Len’s needed to be behind bars for years now. No use in protecting him.”  
“I ain’t protecting him Rick. I’m helping him. Less for him to fuck up that way. I can cover his tracks, take care of all the loose ends.” Shane reaches behind him, pulls out a knife and lunges at Daryl. Without a thought, Rick dives in front of him, pushing his friend to the ground as Shane’s knife sinks into his chest. The blow knocks him on is back and he is lying next to Daryl on the asphalt. He is too distracted by the sight of his best friend bleeding from the chest to notice that Shane is crouched down on the ground beside him, and he doesn’t see the knife coming toward his own chest.

 

When Merle wakes up, he doesn’t know where he is at first. There isn’t any natural light coming from the open windows, so he assumes it is night or late evening. He’s sitting in a chair with his arms cuffed behind him. His shoulder hurts like a bitch and that’s when he remembers being shot by Joe. His thoughts immediately turn to Carol and Sophia and he begins struggling against his restraints. “Now, now, Merle. You don’t wanna be doing that,” says a familiar voice from behind him. “You’re injured. You don’t want to do anymore damage to yourself do ya?”  
“Where the fuck are Carol and Sophia?” Merle hissed through clenched teeth.  
“You mean Mrs. Merle Dixon and her little bitch? They’re fine. Tony’s looking after ‘em, keeping ‘em safe. He ain’t gonna let nothing happen to ‘em, unless I tell him to.”  
“You son of a bitch! Daryl’s expecting me. I’m not there and he’s gonna come looking for me, and then we’re gonna kill all ya’ll bastards!” Joe walks over to the nearby wall.  
“Yeah, Merle, about Daryl? I don’t think he’s gonna be looking for ya.” Joe flipped the switch on the wall ad Merle froze with fear at the sight before him. Daryl was strapped to a chair, much like his, except his white shirt was now red with his own blood and his head was slumped forward against his chest.  
“Goddamn you motherfucker! I’ll kill you where you stand!” Merle screamed at the top of his lungs.  
“Number one Merle, calm the fuck down. He ain’t dead. It’s just a little stab wound. I stitched him up myself, he’ll live. Number two, I always liked your brother. He’s a good kid, despite our influence. Daryl’s an honest, trustworthy man. Not the kind who would lie and steal from another. I don’t want to see anything happen to him. Number three, I didn’t do this. I didn’t order it. Len and Shane done this all on their own. Len feels that your brother done him wrong. He feels that he had a claim on that woman before your brother ever showed his face. You know how Len feels about the rules Merle, almost as strongly as I do. That’s why we’re in this situation. You Dixon boys are nothing but disrespectful rule breakers and we’re gonna hafta teach ya Merle. Now, because I’m such a kind hearted man, I’m gonna give you some time alone with your brother to say good bye, and don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your widow.


	26. Chapter 26 Holding Out for a Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of pain. A lot of hurt. Finding the one you love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late. I'm taking advantage of Octavia to get some work done here though, Thank you for all the kudos and hits. I love you all! I have added tags to this. Please read them. I don't want anyone saying I didn't warn them. Proceed with caution. Maybe surround yourself with cookies or ice cream. Ice cream always makes it better. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 26  
Holding Out for a Hero

As soon as Joe left the room, Merle scooted his chair closer to Daryl. He was able to get close enough to where their knees were touching. He leaned in as far as he could and spoke to him. “Little brother, you gotta wake up. This here situation ain’t good. They got Carol and Sophia. Joe thinks he’s gonna kill me. I don’t know about your woman, but I can guess that Len’s got her. You gotta wake up Daryl. We gotta get the fuck up outta here and save our families.” Daryl must have heard his voice because he stared to moan in pain.  
“Merle, where the fuck are we? What the fuck happened to you?” Daryl asked, his voice harsh and raw.  
“Joe found the cabin brother. He was waiting for us by the creek. Bastard shot me in the shoulder and the leg. When I woke up, I’s here. This is the building he wanted to blow up.”  
“I gotta find Yvonne. Len and Shane are fuckin’ cousins’ man. They’s blood. That’s why he’s been after my ass. He’s helping Len get to her. He was following her yesterday, in Woodbury. Sitting right outside her damn house. Probably knows where she works, knows about Michael. Gotta find her, gotta save her. I love her Merle; can’t live without her.”  
“I know what you’re saying baby brother. I married Carol this morning. She’s my wife now. I got me a wife and a daughter and as soon as this shits over, that little girl’s gonna be an official Dixon. She’s gonna have my last name.”  
“Shit Merle, congratulation. I knew ya loved her, I knew she loved you too. If it weren’t for these disease-ridden, motherless bastards ya’ll woulda never been apart. Probably had your own brood by now.”  
“You’re right baby brother. Now we gotta figure out how to get outta here and get our women. Neither one of us is fit to fight, but if I can get my bayonette back, I can do a little bit of damage.”  
“I can’t hardly breathe Merle, that fucker got me in the chest. Oh shit! Merle . . . .he killed ‘em, they’re dead!”  
“Who killed who Daryl?”  
“Shane, he killed T and Rick. T was in the garage, had blood all over him. Rick pushed me down when he tried to stab me the first time. He got in the way and Shane got him in the chest. Shit Merle, I saw it!”  
“Calm down now. We ain’t gonna be able to do shit if we can’t relax our minds. Boy, we need to clear out heads, be all Zen and shit. Gotta think of a way to get outta here.”  
Daryl suddenly had a flash of memory. “I got it. I know what we can do. Saw this in a movie once. The first one I ever saw with Yvonne. It worked for them Irish boys, maybe it’ll work for us too.”

 

Michael was beside himself. It was after seven o’clock and he had neither seen nor heard from his mom. He knew that Daryl was picking her up from work and them picking him up to go to his cabin. “Mrs. Franklin, have you heard from my mom?”  
“No honey, not yet. Maybe she stopped at the store?”  
“No, she didn’t go to the store. Daryl was picking her up, then they were coming here to get me and we were going to spend a few days in the woods. Daryl said there are some bad guys out there and that mom and I are supposed to be real careful. What if the bad guys got them?”  
“I’m sure everything’s okay Michael, but I’ll call your mom’s cell phone and find out what’s going on.” The call went straight to voicemail, so she left a message. Twenty minutes later and still nothing, so she sent a text. Yvonne didn’t respond to that either. An hour after the first call she really did begin to worry. She gathered up the boys and drove to the police station. When they arrived, they spoke to Officer Blake. He listened to everything Michael told him and although they couldn’t file a missing persons report just yet, he agreed to drive to the diner and check it out. “Tell ya what Michael,” the officer said. “I’m gonna take my patrol car and drive up by the diner. I’ll check it out and radio back here to the station, okay?”  
“Okay. Please find my mom. Daryl said the bad guys are after them.”  
“Who’s Daryl?” Blake asked.  
“Daryl Dixon, he’s my mom’s boyfriend. He lives in Senoia.”  
“Senoia, huh. I got a friend who’s a sheriff’s deputy there. Don’t worry son, we’ll find your mom and she’ll be just fine.” Michael watched the officer walk out the front door and leave in his police car. He went with Caleb and Mrs. Franklin to the waiting room and waited.

 

Carol’s arms were numb now. Tony had dragged her and Sophia from the truck and put them in Joe’s. Joe had thrown Merle into his own and driven off. Tony drove them up the road to the cabin. With none of them having a key, he kicked the door off its hinges and pulled them across the threshold. He zip tied their hands and feet and shoved dirty rags in their mouths. While Carol had been able to stay somewhat calm, Sophia had not She hadn’t stopped screaming and crying from the time she saw Merle shot to when Tony shoved the rag in her mouth. “I ain’t gonna hurt neither one of ya. Gonna keep a safe. What happens to Merle is outta my hands, but I ain’t gonna let Joe hurt ya. He aims to kill ‘em and he’s planning on coming to get ya when it’s done. If ya’ll can hold your shit together for a little while longer, I can figure this out.” He went into the kitchen and found some cans of peaches in the cabinet. He grabbed them and some bottles of water. “We gonna sit here and work it out. To be honest, I don’t give a shit about Merle, but I ain’t gonna let Joe hurt you or your kid. I’ll get ya’ll outta this.”

 

When Officer Blake arrived at the diner, nothing looked unusual. He drove into the parking lot and got out of his vehicle drawing his weapon and his flashlight, just in case. The first thing he found was a broken cell phone. It had been shattered in a million pieces, like it had been run over. He walked past it and his light fell upon a hand. There on the pavement lay the bodies of a young blonde girl and a young man. He checked them both for a pulse and after finding one for both, he called for an ambulance and then backup. From the description the boy had given for his mother, he didn’t believe this to be her. The EMTs confirmed both victims were still living and rushed them to the local medical center. Phillip Blake did not want to tell that little boy that he was unable to find his mother. He remembered the name Dixon, he had heard it before. He called the Senoia sheriff’s department to talk to his friend Rick. The deputy that answered the phone, informed him that Rick had been taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Phillip then asked if they had any incident reports involving Daryl Dixon or Yvonne Bradley. The woman on the other end of the line said that the incident involving Deputy Grimes’ injury directly involved Mr. Dixon and his present location was unknown. Phillip knew that Rick may have answers and decided to take the boy to Senoia.

 

Yvonne smelled mildew. She couldn’t see anything, but she could smell wet, dank mildew. She thought she might be in a basement or dungeon. She was lying down with her arms stretched above her head, her legs spread and tied to something. She tried to speak, but her mouth was so dry that she couldn’t form words. She heard footsteps, but she couldn’t tell where they were coming from. There was light coming from underneath the door and she saw the shadow of boots standing behind it. She heard the knob turn and the door creak. Light poured into the room and what she hoped had been a nightmare, was reality. Len walked in with a smile on his face. “Good to see you’re awake.” He closed and locked the door behind him before holding up a lantern. “Been waiting a long time for this. Shoulda had ya the first night I saw ya, but ya skipped out on me like a bitch. I think you been trying to make me jealous, huh? Making sure I see you ‘round town with that redneck faggot.” He sat the lantern on the floor and sat on the edge of the mattress Yvonne was tied to. It was when she felt his hands on her bare thighs that she realized she was naked, at least mostly. She knew she was wearing a bra, because she could feel the straps. She also felt his fingers rub against her panties.   
“Please don’t do this,” she said hoarsely, tears forming in her eyes. “Why are you doing this?”  
“That fuckhead knew you were mine. He heard me make a claim on you. He heard me talking about all the shit I wanted to do to you.” His hands went from her thighs to her stomach and continued up to her breasts. “He knows the rules. We’s known each other since we’s fourteen years old. We’ve done all kinda shit together, shit he probably never told ya about. He and I used to share women all the time, but he never had the balls to take one away from me.” He pulled down the cups of her bra to reveal her breasts and squeezed them tightly. “I woulda been willing to share you too, but he got greedy and selfish. Now you’re both gonna pay for it.”  
She tried not to scream, she tried to distract him. “Where is he? Where is Daryl? How did you get his truck?”  
“After Shane took him down, he took the keys to his truck. He’d left it parked at the sheriff’s station. I picked up the keys from him. Its good having family on the force. He was kind enough to give me your address.” He sat up, looming large above her, his shadow a demon in the lantern light. She closed her eyes and heard him unbuckle his belt and pull his zipper down. She began to cry, and thought of Daryl and prayed that he was alive and looking for her.

 

Merle had moved his chair in front of Daryl’s with his back to his brother. “Just do it pussy. You can only break one of ‘em, the other one’ll be good as new once I get my bayonette back.” Daryl carefully sat his foot against the cuffs that held Merle’s wrists. He hoped he could do it in one kick, but with all his strength gone, his only goal was to not miss his target. He pulled his knee up and slammed it home. He heard a crack, but didn’t know if it was bone or metal. It took five times before he heard the crunch of bone. Merle was in an incredible amount of pain, but kept his mouth shut. The pain was nothing, really, in comparison to losing his hand, but it still hurt like a raging bitch. As soon as he could get the cuff around his hand, he limped his way to a table in the corner where his attachment lay. After fastening it to his stump, he went to Daryl and picked the lock on his cuffs. He pulled his brother into a bear hug and was afraid to let go. He didn’t tell Daryl that this would probably be the last hug they shared. “Let’s get the fuck outta here baby brother. We gotta find our women.”  
“Where we gonna look Merle? They could be anywhere.”  
“First, we gotta find our way outta here with as few problems as we can find. I’ve been in this building before, just follow me.”

 

When Officer Blake and Michael arrived at Grady Memorial Hospital, they went straight to the Emergency Room and asked for Deputy Grimes. The nurse told him that the Deputy was being released and would be out in a few minutes. Michael had only recently stopped crying and was now only sniffling and battling a humongous headache. Rick soon emerged from the double doors and saw Michael sitting in the corner of the waiting room. Rich rushed over seeing the boy was alone. “Michael, what are you doing here? How did you get here?”  
“I brought him Rick.” Phillip said from his spot at the vending machine. He walked over handing Michael his Coke.  
“Phillip, what the hell are you doing here?” Rick questioned worriedly.  
“This young man came into the station tonight asking me to find his mother,”  
Rick knelt down and looked Michael in the eye. “The bad guys got Daryl, maybe your mom too. One of them stabbed me and shot T-Dog. He’s in surgery right now. I know you’re scared, I am too, but you’ve got to believe that I am gonna find both of them. I promise you. I’m gonna take you back to my house. You stay with Lori and Carl. Officer Blake and I are gonna go get Daryl and you momma and bring ‘em back to ya.” The three of them took Phillip’s patrol car to Rick’s house and he explained everything to Lori. He told her about Shane and Len and what they had done. She was in shock and told Rick to call her if anything happened, good or bad. When they got back into the police car, they discussed a plan. They picked a few places to check out, places that were abandoned or off the grid. He was gonna make sure, one way or another, that Shane, Len and Joe paid dearly for what they’d done. 

 

Tony herded Carol and Sophia into Joe’s truck and headed down the dirt road. They decided on a plan they felt would keep them all safe from Joe’s wrath. He was going to drop the women off at the Sheriff’s station and hightail his ass out of the state. He knew that if Joe caught wind of what he had done, he’d lose his life. When they arrived, before stepping out of the truck, Carol thanked him for what he had done, and told him that if he ever needed her help, he would have it. She looked for Rick as soon as they came through the door. She was told that he was out on a missing person’s case and that no one had heard from him yet. She asked if she could wait for him and was told she could. Whether he was there or not didn’t really matter at the moment. The important thing now was that she and her daughter were safe inside the Sheriff’s station.

 

Daryl stayed close to his brother. They were quietly stalking the hallways of the abandoned building. They figured out that they were being held on the top floor and were working their way down. Merle was moving slowly and carefully keeping his bayonette in front of him. Daryl had no weapon. He had left his crossbow in his truck, and its whereabouts was currently unknown. All the hallways were quiet and uninhabited. By the time they reached the fourth floor, the brothers were in an incredible amount of pain. Daryl’s injury may have been superficial, but his chest still hurt like a bitch. He was slowing down, his breathing uneven. As they stumbled down the fourth floor hallway, Merle suddenly stopped, turning to his brother, putting a finger to his lips. He strained to hear, but there were voices coming from behind one of the doors further down the hall. They approached slowly and stood on either side of the door. The sounds were muffled, but it was arguing. Two male voices. Merle thought that one of them belonged to Joe, but the other he didn’t recognize. Daryl put his ear to the crack in the door and mouthed the word ‘Shane’. Merle pointed at himself then at the door. He slapped his brother on the shoulder and whispered, “I’m gonna take care of these motherfuckers. You go find your woman.”  
“No Merle. I’m going in there with you. Shane is mine.”  
“No baby brother. Yvonne is yours. You gotta find her. You gotta kill that motherfucker that touched her. I’ll take care of Shane for you. I owe you my life Daryl. Let me take this for you.”  
Daryl was dumbstruck. He engulfed his brother in a bear hug. “I love you Mere. I always have, even when you were an asshole. Don’t leave me Merle. You’re all I got.”  
“No I ain’t. Not anymore. You got a family of your own. You’ll make a good father and husband. Take care of mine for me. Tell Carol that I love her and always have.” He didn’t give Daryl time to respond or stop him. He pushed his brother away and went through the door. With tears in his eyes, Daryl rand down the hallway to the stairs. His chest was hurting and he was crying so hard he could hardly see where he was going. He almost missed the exit to the third floor and had to go back a few steps to get through it. He blindly made his way down the hall, focused solely on Yvonne. He wasn’t even sure he was paying attention to anything outside of his head. Then he heard it, the sounds of a struggle, muffled screams. He stopped walking and listened. He went to every door until he found the one that hid her. He knew it was her, he knew it in his soul. The woman he loved, his woman. He rattled the door handle, but it was locked. His heart pounded in his chest, his anger was taking over. He stepped back and kicked the door in. Len didn’t even hear the door crack, he didn’t know anything until Daryl grabbed him by the hair, tore him off Yvonne and threw him onto the floor. He didn’t want to look at her just yet. He knew that if he looked at her, he would break down. He had found her, now his priority was the bastard lying on the floor. He jumped on top of him and straddled his waist. “I told you motherfucker. You. Don’t. Touch. Her. Now, you’re gonna die.” Daryl reared back and began to pummel Len’s face. His fists hit so hard, he could feel and hear the bones cracking. He didn’t stop until he heard Yvonne crying.  
She was still strapped to the mattress, now completely naked. She had screamed and begged him to stop touching her. When she heard the door knob shake, she prayed that it was Daryl. It wasn’t even a second between the door busting in, to Len being violently pulled off her. She could see his shadow against the wall and his fists moving furiously. She knew Daryl would kill him, and she wasn’t opposed to that, but what she really wanted right now was to be released from the mattress, put her clothes back on and get the hell out of this place. She started crying uncontrollably with the thought that Daryl was too distracted to remember she was there. She was so scared that his anger was taking over, but he did hear her crying. His fists stopped moving, he stood up and moved to the mattress on the floor. He cradled her face in is hands and gently kissed her lips, his sobs as uncontrollable as hers. Without saying a word, he untied her hands and feet. He pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair as they cried into each other. “Are you okay? I mean, did he . . . ?” he asked when he was able to speak. The question only made her cry harder and his arms tightened around her.  
“Please, I just want to get dressed and get out of here,” she begged between hiccupping breaths. Daryl grabbed her clothes from around the room, realizing as he did that the only piece in tact was her jeans. He handed them to her and took off his angel wing vest, followed by his flannel shirt. He put the shirt around her shoulders and buttoned it, careful not to touch her. He helped her stand on wobbly legs and led her to the door. As he turned the knob, he heard the beaten man on the floor stir and moan. “Stay here and don’t look,” he said and turned Yvonne’s body to face the door. He went over to Len and got on his knees behind him. Pushing him up by his shoulders, Daryl put his hands on Len’s face and leaned into him, whispering in his ear. “You will never hurt another woman ever again.” The snap of his neck echoed in the tiny, darkened room. Daryl let the man’s body fall to the floor with a thud. He took Yvonne’s hand and led her from the room.

 

Joe and Shane stopped arguing the second they heard the door open and Merle walked inside. Shane was holding a gun to Joe and yelling about not getting his chance to finish Daryl. “Whoa there boys,” Merle said when he closed the door, Shane’s gun now pointed in his direction. “There’s no need to argue. We can talk this out like men.”  
“Fuck you Dixon! I don’t give a goddamn about you. It’s your brother I want,” Shane said walking over to Merle.  
“I don’t rightly know where his is right now, officer dickhead, but I know that you ain’t gonna do a damn thing to him. I come to make sure of that, personally.”  
“Merle,” Joe said, interjecting, “you ain’t gonna be able to do that, what with you being dead soon and all. I’m gonna make sure of that.”   
Merle straightened his stance and looked Joe in the eyes. “I know you Joe. I’ve known you for twenty-five years. I know your rules and I know what you’re capable of. I ain’t gonna beg for my life, but I’ll be damned if I ain’t gonna take you with me.” He ran towards Joe at full force, holding the bayonette in front of him. As it pierced the skin of Joe’s chest, a shot rang out from Shane’s gun, dropping both Merle and Joe to the ground. Shane stood above them both, “Looks like you got what you wanted Dixon. You got ole Joe straight in the heart with that son of a bitch. I’m gonna thank ya for that. You’ve been a real big help tonight. Now, I’m gonna find that shit ass brother of yours and I’m gonna turn his lights out too.” Shane raised his gun and shot Merle in the head.


	27. Chapter 27 Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tears. Lots of tears. Lots of uncontrollable, body wracking sobs. Sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah . . . this one, well, this one kicked my ass. Sorry it took so long to update, but I struggled a lot with it. I am planning three, maybe four more chapters of this one, then it will end. However, I am only the scribe. Daryl and Yvonne tell me what to do and they want their story told. I quit when they say quit. I'm not gonna ask you to enjoy this one. I feel your pain. I cried first.

Aftershocks

Daryl was carrying Yvonne bridal style down the hallway when he heard a gunshot. He stopped still and looked at Yvonne. “Merle,” was all he said as he exhaled heavily.  
“Merle is with you?” she asked through the tears silently falling from her eyes.  
“Yeah. Joe shot him in the leg and the shoulder. Had us hold up in the same room up top.” He hung his head and whispered, “Merle didn’t have a gun.” The tears flowed from his eyes. “I left him upstairs. Joe and Shane were in some room arguing. He went in there. He was gonna kill them. I wanted to go in with him, but he wanted me to find you. He said that I had to find you and take care of the motherfucker who touched you.” His tears fell harder and his body was wracked with heaving sobs. He couldn’t hold her any longer and gently sat her on the floor against the wall. “I have to find him. All he had was the bayonette attachment.”  
“Daryl, baby, I can walk on my own. You go find your brother I’ll follow you.” She tried to stand on her own, but stumbled. Daryl quickly caught her.  
“Ya ain’t walking on your own, and I ain’t leaving ya here for God knows who to find ya. I ain’t leaving ya alone again, never again. We’ll find him together. You don’t need to worry, that fucker’s dead.”  
“I know.” She started to cry again. “Thank you.” They held each other tight for only a moment and he lifted her into his arms once again and continued down the hallway to the staircase. Between the tears, pain, exhaustion and the weight of his woman, Daryl barely made it up the final steps few steps that led to the fourth floor. He put her on her feet and they walked through the door together. He held her hand, but she kept her body behind his. She was still shaking with fear. The door Merle had entered stood partially open and he looked through the small crack. All he could see were a pair of legs attached to Merle’s boots. He burst through the door and fell to his knees by his brother’s lifeless body. He screamed, cried and held Merle close to him. Yvonne knelt next to him and put his head on her shoulder. She didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t have heard her anyway. She rubbed her hand up and down his back, trying to give as much comfort as she could considering the circumstances.  
They stayed in that room, crying over Merle’s body, holding each other for a long time. They had noticed Joe’s body laying opposite Merle’s but paid it no mind. Merle and Daryl had both exacted the revenge they sought, and he only had room for grieving now. After what seemed like forever, Yvonne heard the faint sounds of a police siren getting closer. She felt relief hoping that they were coming for them, to take them home. Daryl didn’t seem to hear it. He didn’t seem to hear anything. He was still cradling the body of his big brother in his shaking arms. He sat on his knees on the floor rocking back and forth as if her were catatonic. Yvonne heard noises and voices coming from outside the building. The room had no windows, so she ran out of there as best as she could looking for one. She almost made it to the exit door that led to the stairwell when it flew open and a big man in a police uniform ran into the hallway. “Are you Yvonne Bradley?” he asked continuing to walk toward her.  
“Yes,” she stuttered. Her throat burned, and she couldn’t breathe through her nose from all the crying.  
“I’m Officer Phillip Blake from the Woodbury Police. Rick and I have been looking everywhere for you. Is Daryl with you?”  
“Yes,” she said. Officer Blake pulled out his cell phone and pressed a button.   
“Rick, I found her. She says Daryl is with her. We’re on the fourth floor.” He put the phone back in his pocket and looked at her. “Take me to Daryl. Rick is on his way up.” She turned back to the door she had come out of and ran staggering back to it. Daryl had not moved during the time she had been gone. He looked as if he had stopped breathing. Phillip pulled his cell out again. “We need and ambulance and the medical examiner ASAP.” Yvonne walked to Daryl and sat next to him, running her fingers through his hair. She was too distracted to notice Rick enter the room.  
“Oh noo!” Rick cried as he stood above them. He squatted in front of them and looked down at Merle. Putting his hand on Daryl’s shoulder, he spoke to him. “Daryl? I’m so sorry brother. We got an ambulance coming to take you and Yvonne to the hospital. Daryl? Brother, look at me.” He wasn’t sure if Daryl could hear him, but after a few seconds, he lifted his head and looked Rick in the eye.  
“They killed him. I shoulda been in here with him. I shoulda protected him.” The tears flowed down his cheeks again. His body shook uncontrollably and he held his brother closer to his body. They all sat in silence, save the sound of Daryl’s sobbing, until Officer Blake escorted the EMT’s and the medical examiner into the room. They took Joe’s body away first, then attempted to get Merle on the stretcher, but Daryl wouldn’t let him go. Rick tried to reason with him, but Daryl wouldn’t budge. Yvonne crawled behind him and rapped her arms around his shoulders. He growled at the contact. “Get the fuck off me. Don’t fucking touch me.” She was shocked to say the least and released him. Without a word, she stood up and walked over to the female EMT standing by the door with a blanket under her arm. She escorted Yvonne downstairs and into the waiting ambulance.  
“What the fuck was that Daryl? You let him go and you let them take you to the hospital or I swear-to-fuck I will arrest you for impeding an investigation.” Daryl looked up at his brother, the only one he had left now. His eyes were red, puffy and tear filled. He nodded his head and gently laid Merle’s body back on the ground. Rick helped him stand and put an arm around him to help him walk. He helped get Daryl loaded into the ambulance and held his friends hand on the ride to the hospital.  
“It’s my fault Rick. My fault he’s dead. If I hadn’t left him I could have saved him.”  
“Daryl, you saved Yvonne. She’s alive because you found her in time. My best guess is that Merle told you to leave. I know he wouldn’t have put you in danger.”  
Regaining his composure somewhat, Daryl said, “He married Carol, ya know. They went to the courthouse this morning. Shit! We gotta find her and Sophia! Where’s Michael? Did they get Michael?” He was becoming hysterical again.  
“Calm down D. Michael is fine. He’s at my house with Lori and the kids. I’ll call the station and put an APB out for Carol and Sophia. T-Dog is alive. He was in surgery when I left the hospital. Everything is gonna be fine.” He took a deep breath and treaded lightly with his next statement. “I found Len, ya know. Did you do that?” Rick asked him, already knowing the answer.  
“Don’t know if I should tell ya that Rick. I’m sure you know the answer to that, but I ain’t saying nothing about that.” He paused and looked at Rick. “When I walked into that room . . . he was on top of her and she was naked. He raped her. I lost it.” The ambulance came to an abrupt stop in front of the emergency room doors. Daryl was rushed in while Rick stood outside and called the station. The receptionist who answered the phone told him that there was a Mrs. Dixon and her daughter waiting for him. He requested a deputy escort them to the Grady Memorial ER. He didn’t know if he should tell her about Merle or let Daryl do it. Daryl might not be able to handle that though. Then he rung Philip to see how things were progressing at the scene. All those allegedly involved had been accounted for except Shane. He was still out there somewhere, but the entire sheriff’s department was looking for him. Lastly, he called Lori. She was relieved that Daryl and Yvonne had been found safe, but her heart broke when Rick told her about Merle. She may not have like the man, at all, but she loved Daryl, Carol and Sophia. Lori didn’t think she would survive if the man she loved was dead.   
By the time Rick finally put his cell phone back in his pocket, Carol and Sophia pulled up in the squad car. He thanked the deputy for escorting them and walked with them into the emergency room. “No one would tell me anything. They just told me that you said I needed to be here. What happened Rick? Did you find Merle? Is he here? Is he okay?”  
Rick pointed to a row of chairs along the back wall of the waiting room. “A lot has happened Carol. We need to talk.” He took his wallet from his back pocket and handed Sophia a twenty dollar bill. “I’m sure ya’ll haven’t had any proper food. Why don’t you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. Bring back something for your mom too.” She slipped the money in her pocket and walked to the elevator. Rick led Carol to the back wall and they sat to talk. “I haven’t got anyone’s statements yet, but from what I understand, Joe, Shane and Len had Merle, Daryl and Yvonne held in an abandoned building downtown. Joe and Len are dead, Shane escaped. Daryl saved Yvonne. They’re being looked at by the doctors right now.” He took a deep breath his brain trying to process where to go from here. “Merle found Joe and Shane in one of the rooms and went in after them. He told Daryl to keep looking for Yvonne. We’re not sure what happened yet, but Merle and Joe were both found dead.”  
Carol looked at her left hand, the one Merle had put a ring on earlier this morning. Silent tears fell onto her cheeks as Rick put his arm around her shoulders and held her tight. She never got upset or loud. Rick admired her stoicism. He knew she had been through hell before she ever met the Dixon brothers and Merle hadn’t been the light at the end of the tunnel she had hoped he would be. But they loved each other and that love had survived years of shit. “You said that Daryl and Yvonne are okay? What happened to them?” she asked Rick, sniffling back her tears.  
“Shane took Daryl. He stabbed T-Dog and me. I was unconscious and couldn’t stop him. He had to have done something to Daryl to coerce him into the squad car. I don’t know how Yvonne was taken. My friend, Phillip Blake is a police officer in Woodbury. Michael showed up at the station asking him to find his mom and Daryl. Apparently, she had been taken from the diner where she works. Her cell phone was found at the scene, as was the bodies of two of her co-workers. They were taken to the med center there. Daryl told me that he was too late to keep him from raping her. Len’s dead now, as is Joe.”  
“Did Daryl see Merle, after?”  
“He found him. He was catatonic, then hysterical. He snapped at Yvonne, was pretty mean to her, but I’m sure she understands why. I think we lost him there for a second. He killed Len with his bare hands.” The elevator doors opened and Sophia came out carrying a bag of food at the same time a doctor emerged from the double doors leading to the ER rooms. “Family of Mr. Dixon?” he announced. Carol and Rick stood and the doctor motioned them over to the nurse’s station.   
“My name is Doctor Milton Mamet. You’re Mr. Dixon’s family?”  
“Yes,” Rick answered. “This is Carol, his sister-in-law and Sophia, his niece. I’m Deputy Rick Grimes, his best friend.”  
“Mr. Dixon is going to be fine physically. He sustained some minor cuts and bruises. The most significant injury was a shallow stab wound to the chest. Someone had cleaned and stitched it not long after it was inflicted. I’m concerned for his mental state. I understand the woman brought in before him is his girlfriend?”  
“Yes,” Rick said. “They haven’t been together long, but long enough for him to risk his life to save her.”  
“One of our female doctors is with her now. I also understand that his brother was killed tonight.”  
“Yes,” Carol whispered. She wiped falling tears from her cheek.  
“I’m very sorry for your loss ma’am. Mr. Dixon seems to be in a disconnected state. His mind isn’t processing tonight’s events well. Between his own injury, fear for Ms. Bradley and the loss of his brother at the same time, I’m afraid he may experience a bout of major depression if he doesn’t seek help,” Dr. Mamet told them.  
“I’ll make sure he gets help with this. He’s like my brother, I love him.” Dr. Mamet just nodded his head.  
“If you would like to see him, you can follow me.” Carol took Sophia’s hand and followed Rick and the doctor to Daryl’s room. He was laying with his arms behind his head staring at the ceiling. His eyes went to Carol as she walked into the room. She walked to the side of his bed and they embraced. They held each other tightly and cried silently into each other. When they separated, she sat on the side of the bed and held his hand.  
“I’m so sorry Carol. He’s dead because of me.”  
“No Daryl, he’s not. Joe would have killed him regardless. Merle cheated him for years. He knew it was gonna happen. He changed so much, that was because of you. He saw you and Yvonne together and decided that he was ready for that.”  
“I know,” Daryl said. “He loved her so much.”  
Daryl moved his attention to Rick. “I’m sorry, for what I said to her. She was my focus, I saved her, but I didn’t get there in time. When I found Merle . . . I don’t know.” He stopped talking and just stared into space. “Is she gonna be okay? Have you talked to her doctor?”  
“No,” Rick told him. “Dr. Mamet said one of the doctors is in with her now.”  
“I want to see her Rick. I want to hold her. I need her Rick. I need her so bad. She’s not gonna want to see me again. I fucked up. She didn’t need me treating her like that after what she went through tonight. I just can’t lose her now. She’s gonna need me too, right?”  
Carol stood from the bed and looked him in the eye. “That woman loves you. Whatever you said to her is nothing compared to what she’s heard in the past. She knows you love her. You were the one who supported her when her in-laws tried to drag her down and destroy her. You are the one who found her, the one who saved her life. If you hadn’t found her when you did, she might be dead. Don’t hide from her. She’s gonna need you more now than she ever had. Don’t go assuming things you don’t know.”  
Daryl didn’t say a word after that, because there was a knock at the door. A woman wearing a long, white lab coat walked in. “Are you Mr. Dixon?” she asked Daryl.  
“Yeah. Who are you?”  
She held her hand out for him to shake. “I’m Doctor Margaret Greene. Ms. Bradley is your girlfriend, correct?”  
“Yes ma’am. She is.”  
“I just finished my examination and she gave me permission to talk to you.”  
“How is she? Is she gonna be okay?”  
“Yes, eventually. She has lacerations on her wrists and ankles, some minor cuts and bruises, and a large gash on her forehead which required ten stiches. I’m going to be sending her home with a couple prescriptions. One for pain relief and one as an ointment for her cuts. I’m going to talk to Dr. Mamet and see if we can get you two discharged.”  
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “Um, can I ask you a question?”  
“Of course. As long as it’s something she’s given me permission to discuss.”  
“How bad is it? I mean, she was raped. Is there any damage?”  
“That is something that Ms. Bradley should discuss with you personally. I’ll check on her, I’ll let you know if she’s ready to see you.”  
“Okay, but tell her if she don’t wanna, I understand.”  
“Alright Mr. Dixon, but I can tell she loves you very much. She’s been through a horrible experience. She needs your patience and understanding. I’m gonna put together a list of therapists that specialize in this kind of thing. She’s gonna need a lot of support and love. This is something that she’s gonna have to live with for the rest of her life.”  
Daryl felt like a piece of shit. He let her get hurt. He spat ugly words at her. He had no clue how to make it up to her, and now she may never recover emotionally. She would never let him touch her again. She wouldn’t want him at all. The thought of being touched by a man would disgust her. How was he supposed to help her get over this? How in the hell could he help her? After Dr. Greene left, he felt the tears threaten to fall again. This was seriously too much for him to process. His mind felt like it would explode. Rick suddenly cleared his throat, pulling Daryl from his trance. “We’re gonna go back out to the waiting room. I’m gonna call Lori, check up on the kids, and maybe grab something to eat. When ya’ll get discharged, I’m taking ya back to the house. Ya’ll are staying with us tonight, no argument. That way, you can go to the station with me in the morning to make your statements.”  
Daryl just gave Rick a slight nod of his head in understanding. When the door closed behind them, he sucked in a deep breath and laid his head back on his pillow. His head hurt, his chest hurt, everything hurt. He needed to be there for Yvonne, but he didn’t know how. He was scared that she wouldn’t want to see him anymore, that she wouldn’t let him touch her again. He lost Merle tonight, he couldn’t lose her too. When Dr. Greene returned a few minutes later, she told Daryl that Yvonne did want to see him, but she may not be ready to talk just yet. What she needs right now is the knowledge that she isn’t alone. She also told him that she and Dr. Mamet had begun the discharge process for them both and they should be able to leave within the hour. She waited while he went into the bathroom to put his clothes on and walked him to Yvonne’s door.  
She was lying on her side with her back to the door. He thought she was asleep, but she turned to face him when she heard footsteps coming toward the bed. She sat up when she saw him and he rushed to her engulfing her in his arms. She squeezed him tight and dug her nails into his back. Sobs wracked her body and he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, still holding her tight. “Shh sweetheart. I’m here. I’m so sorry for what I said to you. It wasn’t right, I didn’t mean it. You gotta know that. I was out of my mind and I’m so sorry.”  
She released him from her death grip and wiped at her eyes. “I know Daryl. I understand. It hurt to hear you say it, but I understand. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now.”  
He grabbed her face in his hands and rested his forehead against hers. “What I’m going through is nothing comparted to what you went through tonight. Baby, I love you and I’m not leaving you or abandoning you, unless you tell me you don’t want me anymore.”  
“Don’t leave me, please,” is all she said. He just held her because it was the only thing he knew to do. After a few minutes passed, he spoke. “They’re springing us from this joint, so I’m gonna go see if I can find you something to wear home. Okay?” They separated and she nodded. He wiped her tears with his thumb and stood to leave. He bent down and kissed her forehead. He saw his flannel shirt on the chair and took it with him as he walked out the door.


	28. Chapter 28 Affliction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstandings and attempted comfort

Chapter 28  
Affliction

When Daryl returned ten minutes later, he was carrying a pair of grey sweatpants, a blue t-shirt and an unopened package of white, cotton panties. “The nurse gave me these. She said they keep some things for cases like this. She said they should fit.”  
“Thank you.” She took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. While Daryl sat on the bed waiting for her, two nurses came in with discharge papers and two wheelchairs. When Yvonne came back into the room, they signed the papers and took a ride to the waiting room. Rick was waiting for them. He had sent Carol and Sophia home under guard of the deputy that brought them. The ride to Rick’s house was silent except for Rick filling them in on everything he knew. As soon as he pulled into the driveway, Michael came running out the door. He hovered as Daryl helped his mom get out of the car. As Daryl moved to one side, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love you momma.”  
She ran her fingers through his short, blonde hair. “I love you too baby doll. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried about you. Let’s go inside so I can sit down.” He and Daryl flanked her and held her hands as they walked inside. Immediately, Lori embraced her with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for taking care of Michael and keeping him safe.”  
“You don’t need to thank me for that,” Lori told her. “I’m a mother too. It’s our job to keep the kids safe. It was my pleasure.” When Yvonne moved to sit on the couch with her son, Lori stood in front of Daryl and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry about Merle. Rick told me what he did, sacrificing himself. He loved you even though he never showed it. If you need anything from me, don’t hesitate to ask.”  
“Thanks Lori. If you could keep an eye on Yvonne, try to help her. I figure she’d appreciate it more coming from a woman than me.”  
“That’s not true Daryl. She’s gonna need you to make things normal again. She’s gonna need you to take all this away. You’re the only one who can bring her back from this.”   
“I don’t know about that. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t want to make things worse for her.”  
“Just listen to her Daryl. She’ll let you know what she needs from you. She may not want to talk about it for a long time, but pay attention to her, what she does, how she acts. Don’t put any pressure on her. She has to reconcile this with herself first before she can hand it over to someone else. I’ll keep an eye on her. I’ll be here for her if she needs me, but she’s gonna need you more.”  
“Thanks Lori. Uh, you got anything she could eat? She may not want to, but she should. She needs to keep up her strength.”  
“Of course sweetie. I’ll get something for all of us. I’m sure you need to eat too.” When Lori left to go to the kitchen, Daryl went to the living room where Michael and Yvonne were sitting, cuddled together on the couch. He sat in the chair across from them and Rick went to the kitchen to help Lori. They just looked at each other and Daryl was trying to convey something in his eyes. A question, hope, regret, he wasn’t sure, but she seemed to understand anyway. “Come sit with us.” She patted the space next to her indicating where he needed to be. He got as close to her as he could and leaned in putting his arm around both of them and pulled them close.  
“You don’t have to give Rick a statement until you’re ready. He’ll understand. He ain’t gonna put any pressure on ya. Lori would rip him apart if he did.”  
“I know. He already told me to take my time. It’s just a formality really. More for your case than mine. They’re gonna find your fingerprints all over him. My statement is gonna prove self-defense on your part. My case will be proven through the evidence they found at the hospital.” Lori and Rick came in carrying two trays of sandwiches and a bag of chips. Rick handed Daryl a beer and Yvonne a coke. “You didn’t have to do this. I’m not really hungry.”  
“You need to eat something, both of you,” Lori said. “You’re tired, you’re hurting. Ya’ll need to keep up you’re strength. Just eat a little bit. Then we can all go to bed. Michael’s gonna stay with Carl in his room and you two can take the guest room down the hall.”  
Daryl and Yvonne took bites of their food. Yvonne realized she was hungrier than she thought. “Thank you again. For everything. You’re kindness and hospitality. You just don’t know how much I appreciate what you’ve done for Michael and myself.”  
“No need to thank us,” Rick replied. “Daryl’s my family. I would do anything for him and the people he loves. You’re family too now Yvonne, you and Michael.”  
Lori stood and took everyone’s plates and the empty platters of sandwiches. “I’ll put these away, then we can get the boys to bed. I’ve got some clothes you can wear until you can get back to your house. We’ll find something you like.” After Lori and Yvonne tucked the boys in and said goodnight, they went into the master bedroom and Lori found a pair of sleep shorts and a shirt for Yvonne to sleep in. “I’ll have something for you to wear tomorrow. There is a bathroom attached to the guest bedroom. Take a shower or bath if you want. Just make yourself at home.” Yvonne smiled and nodded her head in gratitude. When she walked into the guest room, Rick and Daryl were talking. Daryl was wearing a pair of Playboy bunny sleep pants and an Iron Maiden t-shirt she assumed belonged to Rick.  
“Hey Yvonne,” he said. “How are the boys?”  
“Sleeping. I know how exhausted Michael is. He worried so much.”  
“That, he did,” Rick replied. “We all did, but you’re both safe now. Help yourselves to showers if ya want. See ya in the morning.”  
“Goodnight Rick,” they both said. When the door was closed, Daryl locked it tight. “You can take a shower first, if ya want. I’ll wait out here.”  
“No,” she said harshly. “I mean, yes, I’m going to take a shower, but would you come with me? I don’t want to be alone.”  
He brushed a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. “Of course. Anything you need from me, tell me. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.” He turned the water on and let it warm up while he took off his clothes. She stood in the corner and watched him not making a move to remove her own. “Do you want me to turn around? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”  
“No Daryl, you don’t. I just . . . you make me feel safe. Just give me a second, okay?”  
“Sure sweetheart. Take all the time you need.” He stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. He let the water cover his body and he relaxed into the heat. Pretty soon, he heard her moving to take off her clothes. She moved the curtain back and he helped her step in. He looked at her body. She was covered in bruises and he could see the welts on her wrists and ankles from where she had been bound. There were cuts on her breasts and stomach and he could see bruises in the shape of a hand on her thighs and chest. She felt ashamed and turned her back to him. “Don’t Yvonne, please. Don’t hide from me. You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Turn around. I promise I won’t do anything. I won’t touch you. We just need to clean up and get some sleep, if we can.”  
“I just didn’t want you to see this. You don’t need to see this. I’d understand if you don’t want to, it’s pretty ugly and disgusting.”  
He hung his head. He didn’t know how to make her understand how wrong she was. The only thing he wanted right now was to put his arms around her, pull her body close to his and kiss her. Kiss her until her pain went away. “I was scared shitless to show you my scars. I was afraid you’d laugh at me, feel disgusted by me and never want to see me again. But you didn’t do any of those things. You told me that you didn’t care about them. You told me that I was beautiful and amazing. You told me that you loved me. I love you Yvonne, nothings gonna change that. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here. I don’t know what you want or need from me, but I’ll do anything to make you believe that I will always love you. You need to know that you are still beautiful. He can’t take that away from you. Don’t let him have that. Don’t let him tear us apart.”  
She turned to face him, not looking him in the eye. “I’ll try my best Daryl. I promise. Let’s just wash up and get to bed. I’m so tired.”  
“Okay darlin’.” He handed her a wash cloth and a bottle of body wash while he washed himself. He watched her wince as she ran the cloth over her body. She delicately moved the cloth over her thighs and between them. He offered to wash her hair and she let him, both of them feeling comfort from the contact. He let her dry herself, not wanting to overdo it or scare her. Although the heat from the shower relaxed their muscles, they were still sore and struggled to put their clothes on. They climbed under the sheets together and Daryl turned off the bedside lamp. They lay separated on either side of the bed, both afraid to speak, Yvonne reached out for him, grabbing his hand with hers. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Anything Yvonne,” he said, squeezing her hand in his.  
“Would you be willing to just hold me? Please?” Without saying a word, he pulled her over to him and she rested her head on his chest. He cloaked her with his arms.  
“You don’t ever have to ask for that. I want you to feel safe. I’ll do anything to keep you safe. Just close your eyes darlin’. Try to get some sleep. I ain’t leaving ya tonight. You’re gonna stay right here, in my arms all night.” She didn’t respond. He felt her breathing even out and when he knew she was asleep, he closed his eyes and followed her. 

The next morning came too early for them both. The sun had barely risen when Yvonne opened her eyes. Daryl’s arms were still wrapped around her tightly and her head still rested against his chest. She tried to be as still and quiet as she could as not to wake him. She was grateful that he was still willing to be this close to her. She wasn’t ready to tell him what happened, she wasn’t even sure if he would want to know what Len had done to her. She was having a hard enough time processing this herself. She had visions of his face all night. She could still feel his hands and mouth on her. No matter how much time passed, she would never forget it. After a few minutes had gone by, Daryl began to stir. “Good morning sweetheart.” Out of habit, he moved his head down to kiss her. He didn’t realize what he had done until he felt her body stiffen against his. “Shit, I’m sorry. Just a habit.”  
“Yeah, I know,” she said without emotion. “Just a habit.” She moved away from him and got out of bed. “I’m gonna take a shower and see if Lori needs help with breakfast.” When she disappeared into the bathroom, Daryl silently cursed himself for his actions. How could he have forgotten what happened? All he knew was that she was in his arms and nothing else mattered. It made everything seem normal, like he had dreamed the whole thing. Obviously, it hadn’t been a dream, it was all very real. Now he knew how she felt about him. She hadn’t responded to the kiss at all. She didn’t want him to touch her. All those things she had said to him was bullshit to make him feel better. She felt sorry for him because of Merle. He got out of bed and went downstairs to find Rick, he needed to know what time they were leaving for the station.  
When Yvonne came out of the bathroom, he was gone. There was a pile of clothes on the bed with a note from Lori that said breakfast was ready and waiting for her. She put on the jeans and long sleeve purple shirt and made her way downstairs. Everyone was already eating by the time she got to the kitchen. Michael got up and ran to her.  
“Good morning baby. How’d you sleep?”  
“Pretty good, but I’m starving. Ya gotta get some food before we eat it all.”  
“Okay sweetie. I’m coming.” The only seat available was between Michael and Daryl. She gave him a nervous half smile as she sat down next to him. Lori brought her a plate with eggs, bacon and hashbrowns. A plate of biscuits sat in front of her as did a steaming cup of coffee. “Thank you Lori. I wanted to help, but didn’t get down here in time.”  
“Don’t worry about it. You and Daryl needed your sleep. How did ya’ll sleep last night?”  
“Good,” Daryl said.  
“Fine,” Yvonne replied.  
“Do you want to come to the station with us? You don’t have to if you’re not ready,” Rick asked.  
“No Rick. I don’t think so, not today. I promise I’ll do it soon, I just need a few days. If that’s okay?”  
“Sure. You just tell me when, and I’ll make arrangements.”  
“Thank you,” she replied. Everything grew quiet at the table until Carl spoke up. “Can Michael and I go play in my room?”  
“Sure honey. Go play and have some fun.” Lori said as the boys jumped up from the table and ran upstairs. When Daryl and Rick were finished with their breakfast, Lori grabbed the plates and took them to the kitchen. Rick stood and walked to the door.  
“I’ll be waiting in the car Daryl. Take your time.” When they were alone at the table, Daryl began tapping his fingers on the top.  
“Are you going to the station in your pajamas?” she asked, trying to ease the tension. It didn’t work.  
“He’s taking me by the trailer so I can shower and get my own clothes. Then were going to the station. I’m gonna call Carol and we’re gonna make arrangements for Merle. Don’t know when I’ll be back.”  
“Okay.” When he stood and moved to pass by her, she took his hand. He looked at her with what she recognized as pity. “Be careful. Will I see you later?”  
“Yeah, sure. I’ll see ya when we get back from the funeral home.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “Call me if ya need me, ya hear?”  
“I will.” She let go of his hand and watched him walk out the door. When Lori returned, she was crying.  
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Lori asked as she sat down in the chair Daryl had just abandoned.  
“He’s disgusted by me, Lori. He was completely horrified when he saw me in the shower last night. He kept giving me this bullshit about how he would never stop loving me and that I would always be beautiful. He let me sleep in his arms last night and this morning he kissed me. Apparently without thinking about it because he apologized and said he did it out of habit. He barely spoke to me this morning. Lori, I’ve destroyed the best thing I’ve ever had. I can’t live without him.”  
“Honey, calm down. You haven’t destroyed anything. Let me make us some fresh coffee, we can go out on the back porch and talk, okay?”  
“Thank you Lori. I have to go upstairs for a minute, then I’ll meet you outside.”   
“Alright. You do what you have to.” Yvonne made her way back upstairs. She checked on the boys who were laying video games. She went into the guest room and saw Daryl’s angel wing vest laying on the dresser. She reached into the pocket and pulled out his cigarettes and zippo. She tucked them in her pocket and went back downstairs. Lori was pouring the coffee when she walked back into the kitchen. They took their cups and went outside. Yvonne pulls the cigarettes out of her pocket before sitting down.  
“You don’t mind do you?” she asked before lighting up.  
“No, I don’t. As long as you let me have one” she said smiling slyly.  
“I didn’t know you smoke,” Yvonne said shocked.  
“I don’t, anymore. I quit when I got pregnant with Carl. I haven’t had one since and considering what’s been going on, I’d really like one. Please?”  
Yvonne opened the box and saw that half the pack was left and handed one to Lori along with the zippo. “Okay, what happened between last night and this morning?”  
“I don’t know. Last night he was saying all these comforting things. He told me that he would never stop loving me and that I shouldn’t let what Len did tear us apart. Then this morning he kissed me and said he was sorry he did it. He only did it out of habit. I know he’s dealing with a lot right now, but I thought we would help each other. He made me feel good last night. He made me believe that we could work our way through this. Now, I don’t know what’s going on.”  
Lori took a drag of her cigarette. “I’ve known Daryl since Rick and I were in college. I’ve never known him to date anyone. I’ve never known him to put as much effort into another person. He is so scared that he’s gonna do the wrong thing or say the wrong thing and make everything worse for you. He’s trying to reconcile losing Merle, but getting you back. He thinks you’re not gonna want him anymore. He thinks that just the thought of him touching you is gonna disgust you. That’s why he apologized for kissing you. That’s why he made that stupid excuse. You don’t have to tell him anything about what happened last night, until you’re ready, if you’re ever ready. But he needs to know that he’s not gonna lose you over this. He wants to be the one who helps you heal. He just needs to know how to do it, he needs to know that you’re gonna be okay with whatever he does.”  
“I just need him to be there. I don’t need him to say anything special. I don’t need him to do anything elaborate. I just need him to stay. I need him to still want me. I need to know that what Len did to me isn’t gonna keep him from wanting me. I don’t want him to think I’m damaged by this.”  
“You need to tell him as soon as possible,” Lori said, “before things have gone too far to come back from.”  
“I will. I’ll tell him when he gets back today. I can’t let this go any longer.”


	29. Chapter 29 Say Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadness, worry, relief and tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what to say about this chapter. It has a bit of everything in it. I have had the ending in my head for a while now, but it took time to get here. I hope you like it. There are only two chapters left in this story. Chapter 30 is a wrap up and then an epilogue. Let me know what you think. Thank you for all the kudos, comments, hits and subscribes on this. I love all of you.

Chapter 29  
Say Goodbye

Rick knew that Daryl had something on his mind. They hadn’t talked since the night before and he had barely spoken a word to him this morning. “What’s going on Daryl? What’s on your mind?” He didn’t acknowledge Rick immediately and sat in silence. When they pulled up to the trailer, Daryl stepped out without a word and went inside. Rick followed him, biding his time. Daryl was in his room throwing random shit in a backpack. The hunter could sense his best friends presence behind him. “It’s over,” he said in a low voice, full of disgust.  
“What’s over?” Rick walked into the room and sat on the bed.  
“She don’t want me anymore. I don’t think she loves me anymore. I can’t live with this. I lost Merle, now I lost her. All because of that stupid fucker who should’ve rotted away in prison years ago.” He sat down on the bed, hard enough to bounce the mattress.  
“Okay, so, she was alright last night, but what happened between then and now?”  
Daryl started biting at his thumbnail. “She said she didn’t want to be alone, so she wanted me to get in the shower with her. When she stepped in . . . . . my God Rick, I wanted to kill him all over again. She’s covered in bruises and cuts. She’s ashamed, didn’t want me seeing it. I tried to tell her she’s still beautiful to me. I told her I’d never stop loving her, no matter what. She told me she’d try. She wants to work through this together. I think she feels guilty about Merle. I don’t know. She promised me Rick, she made me think that she still wanted this, wanted us. She let me sleep with my arms around her last night. I woke up this morning and she was still there. I guess I was hoping it had all been a dream or something. I mean, if I wake up with her in my arms it means everything’s good, right? So, I suppose I forgot all about the bad shit for a minute and I kissed her. She didn’t do anything Rick, she just stiffened up, didn’t kiss me back. I didn’t realize what I was doing until I did it. She got scared, or pissed off, and ran into the bathroom. There’s no excuse for what I did. She don’t need me trying to do that shit until she’s dealt with this and she’s ready. She ain’t ever gonna want me to touch her again. I can’t live without her.” He was trying his best to keep the tears at bay.  
Rick put his hand on his best friends shoulder. “Has she told you what happened yet?”  
“Naw, told her that could wait till she felt comfortable.”  
“Good. I know she loves you too, no matter what happened. I’ve been on a few calls like this before. It’s hard for both parties to deal with. You’re both hurting for each other and we still don’t know how this is gonna affect her emotionally. Some woman deal with it better than others, but it all depends on the reaction she gets from you. She may not tell you what she wants or needs, but you have to make sure she knows she can still trust you.”  
“I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to get her to believe me or trust me. She’s gotta know that I would never hurt her. I want to make her feel better. I want to be the one to take it all away.”  
“Just tell her that. She doesn’t want to lose you. She loves you too much, and I know you love her just as much. Tonight when you get back to the house, just talk to her. Tell her what you told me. Ya’ll belong together, you’re supposed to be with her. You’ll know what to do.” Rick left the room then, and waited for Daryl in the car. He was well aware that he and Yvonne needed to talk everything out, but he just couldn’t do it until he was sure he knew what to say and how to say it. He threw a few more random items into the bag and went back outside. They arrived at the station ten minutes later. “Am I gonna need a lawyer for this?” he asked as they walked in the door.  
“No charges are being filed against you yet in Len’s death. The investigation is still ongoing. Once we get Yvonne’s statement, self-defense will be proven. You’re just here to tell us what happened after Shane took you.” Daryl sat in the interrogation room with Rick and a stenographer. Rick as manning a video camera and asking questions as Daryl told his story. His voice wavered when he spoke about finding Yvonne. He revealed, in graphic detail, what he had done to the monster who had violated the woman he loves. He couldn’t remember a lot of anything else after finding Merle’s body. He knew he had zoned out for a while. He clearly, and regrettably, remembered what he said to Yvonne at the height of his grief. Rick stopped him when he got to the part about the ambulance ride. He had been with Daryl and already knew what happened from that point on. After Daryl signed his witness statement, he called Carol. She picked him up at the station and they went to the only funeral home in town to make Merle’s arrangements.   
Carol had written Merle’s obituary, being sure to refer to Sophia as his daughter. She knew Merle loved her daughter and considered her his own child. She also knew of Merle’s plan to adopt her. She would give her husband his daughter, even though he hadn’t been given the chance to make it legal. Daryl picked out the vault, coffin and headstone. He didn’t go overboard, he chose the best quality at the lowest price. The insurance policy he had through the U.S. Government from his military service was more than enough to give him an elaborate send off, but Daryl wanted Carol to use that money for Sophia and herself. They could get a better house in a better neighborhood, maybe send Sophia to a good school. They were his responsibility now, he wasn’t going to fail his brother or his new family. When they were finished at the funeral home, Daryl asked Carol to take him to T-Dog’s garage. He knew the place would be empty, T was still in the hospital recovering from his surgery. He told Carol that he just wanted to check on his bike, he hoped Shane hadn’t destroyed it. Carol was hesitant to leave him alone, but he promise he would call Rick if anything happened and told her he was planning to ride the bike back to the house. He wanted to take Yvonne for a ride, maybe he would have enough fortitude to say all the things he needed to.  
As soon as Carol drove away, he fished the keys out of his pocket. He went through the shop and into the office. He had expected that the clean-up crew would have been through by now, but T’s blood, dry and coagulated, still covered the floor. The trail led backwards into the office where Daryl assumed the initial attack took place. The office was a mess. Papers strewn across the desk and floor, chairs overturned, T’s desktop and keyboard shattered into pieces. Daryl was afraid to touch anything, so he just sat on the floor and cried. Merle would’ve called him a pansy ass for it, but he hadn’t cried this much in his entire life. He almost lost the only woman he’d ever loved, he held his dead brother’s body in his arms, and had recounted the entire thing this morning in front of a video camera. He sat there for God knows how long feeling lost and confused. He knew Merle had loved him and regretted most, if not all, the things he had done and let happen to him. He knew Yvonne had loved him, but he doubted if she would ever let him love her again. It had never been just sex with her. Yes, he had fantasized and dreamt of touching her and being inside her, but he was in love with her before any of that happened. If she decided she never wanted him to touch her ever again, he would learn to deal with that. Being near her and not being able to touch her would torture him every day of his life. He would learn to live as just her friend if it meant he could still be in her life. He rooted around in the backpack he carried and pulled out the hand crafted wooden box that he had taken from the cabin when he and Yvonne had been there. He was only looking for one thing, and when he found it he wondered if he would ever be able to give it to her.  
When his momma died, Merle had been in juvie and his daddy had been off on a bender somewhere. He was the only one there after the fire department left and the cops let him search through the rubble before they hauled him off to children and family services. The only thing he found was his momma’s engagement ring. It looked like it had come out of a quarter prize machine at the grocery store. He could get it cleaned and shined up real good, but he didn’t know if she would accept it now. His heart and mind were braking into pieces, pieces he wasn’t sure could ever be put back together. Eventually, he went into the shop to look at his bike. He couldn’t see any damage, so he slung the backpack across his shoulders and walked the bike outside. After he locked up the shop, he just sat on the bike for a while deciding what to do next. He wanted to see her, talk to her, but he was afraid. He was afraid he would say the wrong thing and she would reject him. He couldn’t deal with that right now. Right now, he needed to be alone. He started the bike and headed out. He was too distracted to realize he was being followed by a Triumph Bonneville.

 

When Rick got home that night, Lori and Yvonne were fixing dinner. He gave Lori a kiss on the cheek and Yvonne a hug. “How are you beautiful ladies doing?”  
“We’re fine. How was your day? Everything go alright with Daryl’s statement this morning?” Lori asked her husband.  
“Yeah, he didn’t tell you?”  
“We haven’t seen or heard from him since ya’ll left this morning.” Yvonne said, worry apparent in her voice.  
“I think talking about everything took its toll on him. After he left the station, he and Carol went to the funeral home. Maybe she knows where he is. I’ll give her a call. I’m sure he’s fine, he’ll be back soon.” After their talk this morning and the way he had almost lost it during the interview, Rick was worried now. He hoped Daryl hadn’t been foolish enough to let his misplaced emotions guide him to a bad place. He hoped Carol could tell him where he was.  
“Hi Rick. How are you?” Carol asked almost cheerfully when she answered the phone.  
“Doing fine Carol. How are you and Sophia holding up?”  
“As good as we can for right now. What can I help you with?”  
“Do you know where Daryl is? He never came back to the house after the funeral home. Yvonne hasn’t seen or heard from him all day.”  
“I dropped him off at the garage. He said he wanted to check out the bike to see if Shane had damaged it. That was over four hours ago. He said he would call you if anything happened.”  
“Alright, thanks Carol.”  
“Rick, call me, okay. I have to know he’s alright.”  
“I will Carol. I promise.” Rick tried to hide his worry when he walked back to the kitchen, but Yvonne saw it written all over his face.  
“Oh God, Rick! What happened? Is he okay?”  
“I don’t know honey. Carol dropped him off at the garage four hours ago. Try calling his cell.” She grabbed her phone off the table and frantically dialed his number. When his voice mail picked up, she left a hurried message asking him to call her as soon as possible. Rick tried calling him too, but didn’t leave a message.  
“Take me to the garage Rick, please. I have to find him.”  
“Okay. Lori, if he comes back or calls, you let us know.” She agreed and they ran out the door and jumped into the squad car. He turned on the siren and they sped off.  
“Shane is still out there, isn’t he? Ya’ll haven’t found him yet, have you?” she asked.  
“No, we haven’t, but we can’t assume he’s got anything to do with this. We shouldn’t even assume somethings wrong. I can’t tell you how many times Daryl’s gone out in the woods for a few days when he needs to be alone. He’s not dealing with any of this very well. I bet he’s just taking some time to gather his thoughts. He wants to talk to ya, but he doesn’t know what to say.”  
“It doesn’t matter what he says. I know he loves me, I can feel that, and I know this is hard for him. He lost the only family he had and he’s still worried about me. I think he blames himself for everything that’s happened. None of this is his fault. He saved me in more ways than he knows.” She didn’t elaborate on that, just stayed silent for the rest of the ride to the garage. That information was only for Daryl right now. She knew she couldn’t keep this to herself anymore, he needed to hear this, and the sooner the better.  
When Rick pulled into the garage, there wasn’t a soul around. He told Yvonne to stay in the car while he checked everything out. He looked in through the shop windows and saw the same thing Daryl had earlier. The one thing he didn’t see was the motorcycle. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not, but knew he couldn’t stop until he found his friend. He told Yvonne when he got back to the car. “He’s either in the woods or at the cabin. If he’s gone to think, those would be the only two places he would consider. We’ll go to the cabin first, looking in the woods ain’t gonna do us any good. We’d get lost, I ain’t never been a woodsman like he is. I can’t tell my ass from a hole in the ground where that’s concerned.”  
“Okay, whatever you think is best,” she said. “I just hope he’s okay. I gotta talk to him.” An hour later, they pulled onto the dirt road that led to the cabin. Rick slowed the vehicle as they approached. When they saw a motorcycle parked in front, they both felt relief until they saw another bike parked farther away, under a tree. “Whose bike is that Rick? Who else is here?”  
“That’s Shane. You stay in the car, I’m gonna check this out. You watch out for me. If you see Daryl or Shane before I do, lay in on the horn, got it?” Rick said as he checked his weapon, readying it for use.  
“Yes. Please be careful! Find him,” she begged the deputy. He opened the door and put his hand on her shoulder before he got out.  
“Lock these doors. Don’t get out until I say so. I’m gonna take care of both of ya, keep ya’ll safe.” He jumped out of the vehicle and sprinted toward the front door, holding his gun in front of him the whole time. Yvonne immediately locked the doors. Her heart was going to beat out of her chest and her head was pounding. She wasn’t gonna cry, she had done enough of that and it was time to stop. She watched nervously as Rick ran toward the open doorway and stopped. She couldn’t hear what was going on, but saw his lips move. After what seemed like an eternity, he walked through the open doorway.   
The front room was trashed; furniture overturned, lamps smashed on the floor. The kitchen wasn’t any better. The whole cabin was quiet and Rick walked to the back door, paying close attention to any noise that could be coming from upstairs, but there was none. The backdoor was wide open and he could tell the ground had been disturbed. He followed the path for about five hundred yards, until he heard the sounds of a scuffle. When he came into the clearing, he saw them, beating each other to death. He made a mad dash to them yelling their names and demanding that they stop. Neither of the brawlers heard or saw Rick approach them. Shane had knocked Daryl on his back and was currently straddling him and pummeling his face. Daryl reached up and grabbed Shane by the neck. Rick pointed his Colt Python in the air and shot, then placed the hot tip of the weapon against Shane’s temple. “You get the fuck off him Shane, or I swear, I will kill you now!” He emphasized his point by cocking the gun right by that bastard’s ear.  
“Whoa, Rick! This arrogant, worthless piece of shit killed by family. He’s gotta pay for that. What if somebody took Lori from you, or Carl or the baby? You know they’d deserve to die partner.”  
Rick shook with anger. “I am not your partner, don’t call me that. You ain’t a cop no more Shane, never will be again.” Just then using Shane’s distraction, Daryl bucked the asshole off him. His face was bloody and one eye was swollen shut.  
“He’s the one that killed Merle. He told me Rick. I think that makes us pretty goddamn even.”  
“Shut your bitch mouth Dixon! You’re piece of shit brother deserved it! I promised him, before I shot him in the head, that I’d do the same to you!” Shane spat at him. Daryl lunged at him, but Rick stepped between them and stopped him in his tracks.  
“Daryl, calm down! Yvonne is in the car, I think you should let her know you’re alright.”  
“She okay?” he asked, fearful of the answer.  
“She’s fine. Shell be even better when she sees you. Go, now. Shane and I are gonna talk for a minute.” Daryl nodded and ran back to the cabin. He went through the backdoor and into the bathroom. He cringed at the sight in the mirror. His face was more red than white and his left eye was a myriad of darkening colors, but he could only see out of his right, so the image may have been skewed somewhat. He ran a washcloth under the water and tried to clean off as much blood as he could, he didn’t want to scare her. He walked to the open door and saw Rick’s cruiser parked out a ways from the cabin. When he saw her head sticking up over the dashboard, he took off running. Halfway to the car, he started yelling her name. She bolted out of the car and ran into his arms. She brought her hand to his battered face. “He hurt you.”  
“Naw, he sure as hell tried though. Bastard wanted revenge for me killing Len, but Shane was the one that killed Merle. He looks as bad as I do, I hope.”  
“You gotta go to the hospital Daryl. I think you need stitches.”  
“We’ll go later. Rick’s down there with him right now. I though he’s gonna rip Shane’s throat out with his teeth.” He looked at her sweetly then held her tight. “I just wanna hold ya for a bit, if that’s okay?’  
“Of course. I’m just so glad you’re alright. I was so scared.” Daryl lifted her head to look at her.  
“I’m so sorry about everything. I’ve been an ass. Trying to be careful with you, don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but I need you. I need to know you’re gonna be okay. I need to know what I need to do, and not do, to make sure you’re okay. I’m scared you’re never gonna let me touch you again.”  
“SShh, Daryl. You’re the only man I ever want to touch me. It hurt when you said you were sorry or kissing me this morning. I thought that you did it out of habit, not desire. I was scared you never wanted to touch me again, that you thought I was damaged now or something.”  
“No baby! I don’t think that. I could never look at you and see anything but beauty, compassion and kindness. There ain’t nothing wrong with you. I love you, and I always will. I’ll always want to touch you, kiss you, and make love to you. I want you to let your body and mind heal first.”  
“Daryl, there’s something I haven’t told you yet, I haven’t told anybody yet. You need to know this. I just didn’t want to talk about any of it, but I can’t keep this to myself. Please don’t be mad at me for not saying anything.”  
“I won’ be mad darlin’. You know none of this is your fault, right? You didn’t do a damn thing to cause any of this. Don’t be afraid to tell me anything. I ain’t never gonna leave you, no matter what.” She took his hand and led him to the front porch steps and they sat down together.   
“You saved my life. You got there just in time. He was going to kill me, he told me that. He was going to cut me up in little pieces and show them to you before he killed you too. You kept that from happening, but you didn’t just save my life.” She paused and took a deep breath. Daryl was staring at her intently, waiting for her next words. “When I said you got there just in time . . . if you had been just two seconds later, he would have raped me.”  
Daryl was stunned. He blinked his eyes and closed them tight. “He didn’t rape you?” He swung his arms around her and cradled her head to his chest. “Thank fucking God baby girl!” He didn’t say anything else, didn’t ask for an explanation, just held her tight, told her he loved her and thanked God.

 

“Shane, I’m gonna ask you nicely to come with me. I’m gonna take ya in and you’re not gonna fight me and you’re not gonna run. I’ll shoot you, don’t think I won’t. When everybody sees Daryl, nobody would question me shooting you in self-defense.” Rick said, still holding the gun to Shane.  
“You ain’t gonna do no damn thing Rick. You ain’t got it in you. You wouldn’t hurt a fly. I tell you what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna give me that gun and I’m gonna shoot your buddy in the face, just like I promised his brother I would, and you’re gonna watch it happen.” Shane lunged at his ex-partner, knocking the weapon from his hand. They scrambled around in the dirt, trying to retrieve the fallen Python. Finally, when Shane had lost all his patience, he slammed his fist into Rick’s skull as hard as he could and knocked him unconscious. Grabbing the gun he ran back to the cabin.  
When he arrived, Daryl and Yvonne were sitting on the porch with their arms around each other. They didn’t know he was there until they heard the hammer click. “I hope ya’ll are saying your goodbyes” Yvonne stood in front of Daryl.  
“Put the gun away Shane. It’s over, there’s no reason to do this.”  
“The fuck there ain’t. Len was the only family I had. He was the only reason I came to this shit hole town. Now I got nothing. But I’d feel a whole lot better if Dixon was dead.” Just then, Rick came running around to the front of the cabin. Shane stepped back and started waiving the gun around at all three of them. “You think that the three of ya’ll can take me down? I’ll kill every damn one of ya and walk away. I got nothing to lose. Ya’ll don’t mean a thing to me and I ain’t going to prison for Merle Dixon. He ain’t even a blip on the radar.” He pointed the gun at Daryl. “I ain’t got nothing anymore man, ‘cause of you. Live with this.” In one quick motion, so quick that Daryl didn’t have the time to shield Yvonne from the sight, Shane put the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger.


	30. Chapter 30 Self Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yvonne sees a professional. Daryl sees Yvonne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay . . . so . . . Imalyingliarwholies. I said that there were two chapters left in this story. I messed up, bad. I had this chapter done, finished, in the books. As I was typing it up, I realized that I had missed some MAJOR plot point resolution. So, I wrote another chapter to make up for my boo boo. Now, there are two chapters left.   
> Thank you to all those who have left kudos, comments and bookmarked this for re-reading in the future. You are the lifeblood. I hope you like this one. I kinda pulled it out of my ass at the last minute.

Chapter 30  
Self Help

One and a half weeks later

Yvonne sat quietly in the waiting room. She was nervous, on the verge of a panic attack. She anxiously rubbed her palms up and down her thighs, alternating with some slight rocking and covering her face with her hands. Daryl felt nervous for her. This was a big step she was taking, seeing a therapist. She should have been seeing one years ago, she would admit that, but it just seemed easier and less emotionally taxing to bottle it up and push it down. She didn’t have a choice anymore. She had to think of Michael and Daryl, and whether she liked it or not, herself. He held her hand and gave it a light squeeze, “You’re gonna be fine sweetheart. Everything is gonna be just fine. I’ll go back with you if you want, if it’ll make you feel better.”  
She squeezed his hand back and said, “Thank you, but it’s gonna be hard enough for you to do this yourself, on your own. You don’t need to add my sessions to your list of things to deal with. I appreciate it, I really do. I love you for just coming with me today. I don’t know if I could have sat in this room all alone. Just having you here, sitting next to me, makes it almost bearable.” When the receptionist called her name, she stood, but before she could walk away, he stood with her.  
“If at any point you need me in there with you, I’ll be there in a hot second, just have somebody come get me.”  
“I will,” she said, and followed the girl to the last office on the right. “Dr. Harrison will be with you soon. Just make yourself comfortable.” She nodded her head in thanks to the young woman, and took the seat in front of the large oak desk. She nibbled on her thumb and lower lip, a habit she picked up from Daryl. Dr. Andrea Harrison entered the room a few minutes later, introducing herself and shaking Yvonne’s hand.  
“I’ve read the police and hospital reports. I am truly sorry for everything you’ve been through,” Andrea said. “This is just and introductory session. I want us to get to know each other, just talk a little. Maybe we find out where to start. Maybe I can come up with a plan for treatment. I think we need to determine why you are here. Find out how I can help you accept what happened and move on.”  
“Well,” Yvonne said, “I wasn’t raped, technically, so I’m not really sure why I’m having so much trouble with this.”  
“What you experienced was terrifying, rape or not. Do you think, if you had been raped, you would have a better understanding of what’s going on?” Andrea asked her.  
“I don’t know. He knocked me unconscious, kidnapped me, threatened to kill me, and would have raped me if Daryl hadn’t gotten there when he did.”  
“Daryl? Is he the gentleman who came with you today?  
“Yes.”  
“What is Daryl to you? What part does he play in your life?” the doctor asked.  
“I love him. He pulled me out of a pretty dark place. He loves me too. I’m too old to call him my boyfriend, but, we’re together.”  
“How long have you been together?”  
“Just a few months, not long, but long enough to know what we mean to each other.”  
“I understand that his brother was killed that night.”  
“Yes, I think that Merle’s death, added to what happened to me, has had more of an effect on him than he knows. He’s trying to help me and support me as much as he can. He needs to mourn his brother, and he’s focusing on me.”  
“Do you feel guilty about that?”  
“Yes. I want to help and support him as much as I can, but he won’t talk to me about what’s going on.”  
“Maybe he should be seeing someone too. Do you think he will be willing to do that?”  
“He has an appointment with Edwin Jenner next week. I think he will feel more comfortable seeing a stranger than talking with me.”  
“Don’t let that upset you. You’re here with me aren’t you? As much as we would like to be everything to the person we love, we just can’t. No one is qualified for that job. Give each other what you can, as much as you can. That alone will help you get back to where you need to be. I’m here to help you get to the other side of this. Dr. Jenner will help Daryl do the dame. When the two of you have come through this, you will understand yourselves better, understand each other better.”   
They spent the rest of the hour talking about their lives. Yvonne told her about Michael and that she had been married before. They both decided that that would be a topic for a future session. As Yvonne stood to leave, Andrea gave her an appointment card. “Come back on Friday. We’ll see if twice a week is needed or if just once a week would work better. I put my home and cell numbers on the back. Call me anytime you need me. It doesn’t matter when. That’s what I’m here for.” They hugged each other and Andrea walked with her back to the waiting room. Yvonne introduced her to Daryl and they shook hands.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Dixon. I hope you don’t mind, but I read the police report as it pertains to Ms. Bradley’s treatment. I just want to say that I’m very sorry for the loss of your brother.”  
“Thank you ma’am.”  
“Please, call me Andrea. I would also like to say that she is a very blessed woman to have someone who loves her and cares about her as much as you do.”  
Daryl blushed and looked at the floor. “I would do anything for her.”  
Andrea smiled. “And indeed you have.” She hugged Yvonne once more. “I’ll see you on Friday. And remember, call me if you need me. Don’t hesitate.”  
“I promise,” Yvonne answered. As she and Daryl made their way to his truck, he put his arms around her waist to keep her close. He didn’t ask about what happened back there or what they talked about, but he was almost dying of curiosity.  
As though reading his mind, Yvonne asked, “Do you want to know what we talked about?” He wondered if he said yes would she think he was being too nosy.   
“If you want to tell me sweetheart, I won’t stop you, but don’t feel like you have to. It’s not required.”  
“I want to. I think it will help us both.” Daryl gave her a slight nod, letting her know she could continue. “She said today was just for introductions, she wants us to know more about each other. She thinks that might help her make a plan for treatment. We talked about Michael and I told her that I was married before. I think she’s gonna want to talk about that later on . . . and we talked about you.” He assumed they would. He knew the police report would play a major role in her sessions, and he was all over the police report like the ink on the page.  
“Let me guess. She wanted to know where she could find a hot, sexy redneck of her own?” Yvonne laughed, and good fucking lord it was the most beautiful sound in the world. He had missed that sound and was determined to hear it more often.  
“Yeah, well, I told her you’re the only hot, sexy redneck left in these parts. Said that she would have to look elsewhere.” He sighed sarcastically.  
“I hope she don’t go all stalker on my fine ass. I’ll have to let her down real gentle.” He let the silence follow his quip and then brought them back to the conversation at hand. “So, what did ya’ll say about me, really?”  
“She wanted to know who you are to me. What part you play in my life.” He swallowed hard, anticipating her answer. She continued, “I told her that you’re the man I love, who loves me and we’re together.” He wasn’t sure what to say to that. It was true, every word of it and he was happy to hear her say it.  
He settled for, “We belong to each other,” and let the silence take them again.  
“Please don’t be mad, but I told her you were seeing Dr. Jenner next week.”  
“Why would I be mad about that? This is a good thing, right? Whatever she needs to know to help you I will gladly tell her. Any information she wants, if it helps you heal, is fine by me.”  
“I told her because after reading the police report, she thought you might need to see someone too.”  
“Well, I am. Maybe it will help me too. We’ll just have to wait and see.”  
Her appointment had been in the afternoon, and by the time it was over, it was almost time to pick up Michael from school. They headed that way and got there just as the bell went off. He had a bit of math homework and had to write an eight line poem for English class. Daryl agreed to help him with the math, if his mom would work with him on the poem. The math was pretty easy for him. He had always been good with numbers and could do most of it in his head. Yvonne was better with words. Hers always sounded better on paper, than coming out of her mouth though. Michael had started developing a talent for writing, and she was so proud of that. She had wanted to be a writer since she was fourteen and even had a bachelors degree in English. She hadn’t been able to see her dream flourish, however, because David thought that being a writer as a pussy, liberal thing to be.  
Once the homework was done, Daryl went to the backyard and fired up the grill. They were having hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner. He was a master of the bar-b-que and was on his way to making this a weekly ritual. Dinner conversation consisted mostly of Michael telling them about his day; he had music class, and that was his favorite. They watched a movie after the dishes were cleaned, and soon it was time for Michael to go to bed. Once he was asleep, Yvonne found Daryl outside on the back porch lighting a smoke. “Hey handsome, got one of those for me?” He lit another and placed it against her lips. He stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her. Ever since they left Dr. Harrison’s office, she had something on her mind, something she had forgotten about since that night.   
“Can I ask you something?” she said.  
“Of course darlin’. Ask me anything.”  
“You may not want to talk about this, and if you don’t, I understand, but I need to know the answer, okay?” He turned her to face him.  
“You know a lot of shit about me. Don’t think there’s anything I wouldn’t tell you now.” They walked over to the deck chairs and sat down facing each other.  
“That night, Len said something about you, and I just want to know if it’s true.” His heart stopped beating for a moment. He had done a lot of shit with those boys before his best friend became a sheriff’s deputy. Mostly because Merle forced him to, he didn’t want his baby brother to turn into a pussy, now did he? He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what part of it all she had found out about.  
“What did he say?” he asked angrily. His anger wasn’t directed at her, but the dead asshole who, even beyond the grave, was determined to destroy everything he had built with this woman.  
“He said that he would have been willing to share me with you, because you had shared women in the past.” Daryl flew out of his seat.  
“Fuck! That is bullshit! I’ve never shared a woman with anyone, and if I had it wouldn’t have been a woman he had ever touched.”  
“He touched me,” she said quietly. He stopped and knelt in front of her.   
“You were mine, are mine. You and I belonged to each other long before he ever had the chance to touch you. I don’t share with any man.”  
“Then what did he mean by that?” He calmed and sat down across from her.  
“There was this girl we went to high school with. She was real pretty, not a snob, not stuck up. She’d talk to me sometimes, always real nice. Her name was Jennifer. The guys knew I liked her, Rick and T-Dog did too. They all encouraged me to ask her out on a date, but I just didn’t have the balls to do it. Talking to me is one thing, agreeing to be alone with me, is another. I knew she’d say no, so I never asked. The night we graduated, I was hanging out with Rick and T. We were out in this field not far from where T lived. We were drinking beer, making plans for the future, having a good time. Then Tony pulls up and tells me that Merle is looking for me. He said that Merle had something for me. He didn’t go to the ceremony, so I thought he was trying to make up for that. I got in the truck with him and he took me to this mill that had been closed for twenty years. Merle, Joe and the boys did a lot of business out of that mill, so I didn’t question it when we got there. I didn’t see Merle’s truck, but I didn’t think it was a big deal, figured he’d caught a ride with somebody.  
When we walked in, he took me downstairs to where the boiler room was. I could hear voices, but couldn’t tell who they belonged to. Then I saw Len, bent over something laying on the ground. When he stood up, I saw Jennifer, half-naked, beaten and handcuffed to one of the pipes. Len said she was a graduation present. He said that he was sick and tired of hearing me talk about how pretty I thought she was and how much I wanted her, and since he had balls and I didn’t, he thought he’d help me out. He was holding a knife to her throat. Told me that if I was too much of a pussy when she’s ready and waiting for me, he’d just kill us both and call it a day.”  
He hadn’t ever told anybody about this. Not Merle especially, and he doubted if Joe had ever known exactly what happened, but he was sure that he had been the one who had taken care of everything afterward. He glanced up at her to see how she was reacting. Her face held no emotion, no sadness, and no anger. Just interest and concern, so he lit another cigarette and continued.  
“I told him I’d do it if he put the knife away. He said he would once he knew I wasn’t bullshittin’. I bent down and touched her. I knew she was scared, she started crying and trying to get away from me. Eventually, Len put the knife down and moved over to where the rest of the boys were watching the whole thing. I kept telling her I was sorry, that I never meant for any of this to happen. I told her I didn’t want this, that I wasn’t gonna hurt her. I guess she finally realized that I wasn’t a part of what was happening and that I didn’t know that Len had planned it. I was trying to get her to relax, calm her down. She knew what was going to happen, she knew that I’d have to fuck her, and she let it happen. She didn’t fight me in the end. I fucked her and she just laid there and let it happen. She knew it was the only way we’d stay alive. After it was all over, I just left. I didn’t see her again after that night.” He paused, and Yvonne could see his eyes start to water. “They found her body, two months later, in some woods a hundred miles away.” He broke down then, and Yvonne cradled him in her arms.  
That is why he went into animal mode when he found Len on top of her. “Seeing you tied up like that, seeing him on you . . . . . it made me think of her. I didn’t take the chance to save her. I left her behind for them to kill. I couldn’t live with knowing what he’d done to her, what he’d made me do to her. I needed to get revenge for her and I couldn’t let him do to you what he had done to her. I didn’t love Jennifer, but what happened to her tore me up inside. He had to know what he’d done. He had to be punished, he had to die.” Yvonne didn’t say a word, she just let him cry.  
They sat there, arms around each other, for quite a while. When he stopped crying she stood, taking him with her. She walked him into the house and to her bedroom. He just stood there, almost catatonic, and let her undress him. She put him to bed and turned off the lights. She climbed in behind him and held him in her arms. “I love you more than you could ever imagine,” she whispered in his ear and felt his body relax as he fell asleep.


	31. Chapter 31 It's Been a Long Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The return of smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter I messed up on. There is nothing wrong with this it, I just forgot to put a lot of important stuff in it. This one is for my love Debbief722. I hope you like it ;-)

Chapter 31  
It’s Been a Long Road

“Michael! Get whatever you want to take and get it in the bag. We gotta leave soon and if you forget something you can’t just come home and get it. Lori is not driving you back here every day.” Yvonne was exhausted. The past three months had really taken a toll on her mentally, emotionally and physically. Finally, she and Daryl had reached a point where they were ready to move on, and were starting a new journey this weekend. Rick and Lori had happily agreed to let Michael spend the weekend with Carl. The two boys had become very close in the last couple of months and were eager to spend time together. Daryl, Rick and T-Dog had worked at every opportunity to repair all the damage done to the cabin. They had even made some improvements, based on Daryl’s plans for the future. Speaking of Daryl, he should be arriving shortly.  
“I got everything mom. It’s cool, stop freaking out,” he said from the other room.  
She went into his bedroom and he was setting on the bed. “I am your mother and I will freak out whenever the hell I feel like it.” She smiled and pulled him up and into a hug. “So grab whatever else you’re taking and set it by the door. Daryl will be here soon and I don’t want to waste any time.” Within five minutes, all their bags were ready and Daryl was pulling into the driveway. As soon as he walked through the door, Michael pounced on him.  
“Hi dad! I’m so excited! Carl and I are gonna play video games all weekend!” Michael had finally asked him, that night three months ago when Rick brought him and Yvonne back from the cabin, if he could call him dad. Daryl had cried and hugged him. He told him that he didn’t know why in the world he would want to call him dad, but if he really wanted to, he could.  
“Hey buddy! I got something for ya to make Carl jealous.” From behind his back, Daryl produced a small, white plastic bag. Michael grabbed it as eagerly as a ten year old could and plopped down on the couch.  
“Oh. My. God. Thank you! Thank you!” The young boy was beaming and holding his new video game for his mom to see.  
“Ah, the new zombie shooting thing, huh?” she said and gave Daryl a glare.   
“It’s based off that TV show he’s been watching. The one with that guy that carries the crossbow. Figured he’d like it since he’s been asking me to teach him how to use mine. Carl’s been asking too, but I’m saving my classes for Michael. Thought it would make him feel good to be able to rub it in Carl’s face. That Grimes boy’s got an attitude.”  
“Daryl! That’s not very nice! Michael don’t you dare do that. That game doesn’t make you any better than Carl. There’s no need to make him feel bad.”  
“Daryl’s right though mom. Carl’s been getting a little big for his britches.”  
“Oh my god,” Yvonne said. “I don’t think you two are allowed to play together anymore.” She pointed to Daryl and her son. “Don’t make me have to separate ya’ll.” After Michael and Daryl promised not to pick on Carl, he loaded their bags in the bed of the truck, having to put some things in the backseat because his motorcycle took up too much space. When they arrived at Rick’s house, Michael grabbed the game and ran to the door. Luckily, Rick was walking out of it at the same time and the boy dashed past him and ran upstairs to Carl’s room.  
“Well shit!” Yvonne exclaimed. “I’m so sorry Rick. I hope you didn’t get hurt by Hurricane Michael.”  
Rick walked up and hugged her tightly. “He’s not near as bad as Hurricane Carl. How are ya sweetheart?”  
“I’m doing good Rick. How are you?”  
“Just fine. Lori’s in the kitchen if ya wanna see her before you leave.”  
“Alright. Let me grab the boy’s bags.” Once she was inside and out of ear shot, Rick went to Daryl and shook his hand.  
“How are ya holding up brother?” he asked as he slapped him on the shoulder.   
“I’m okay. Nervous as fuck though. Haven’t been alone like this in months. I don’t want to put too much pressure on her. I gave her the option to stay home, but she wants to do this. She wants everything to be normal again. So do I. I’ve missed her so much Rick. I feel like I did before we was together. Even when we’re in the same room, I feel like she’s too far away. I just want to be with her again.”  
“I know man. Ya’ll have come a long way in the past three months. Still having nightmares?”  
“Yeah, not as often though. I been staying at her house a little more, and when I’m there, it seems like I sleep better than I ever did. I think she does too.”  
“That’s great to hear. You still seeing that doctor?” Rick asked.  
“I got one more session. He thinks I’m ready to be released, but he wants to see me one more time after this weekend. Guess he just wants to know that me and Yvonne are good.”  
“I want ya to know Daryl, I’m real proud of ya. I know ya had it rough with Merle and your dad growing up, even though ya never actually told me. I hope this has helped ya a little bit. Never thought you would have agreed to see a psychologist, but I think it was a good decision.”  
Daryl stared at the ground and gathered his thoughts. “I only agreed to it for Yvonne’s sake, at first. I knew she was gonna go to therapy and I offered to go with her, support her, but she wanted to do it on her own. She thought it would be better that way. So I decided to do it too, for myself. I didn’t want to see her go through anything like that without me, and I figure I had enough shit of my own to fill an hour, or two. I tell ya Rick, most of that shit, I’d forgotten about, but here we are. I think we both needed it, not just because of what happened recently, but old stuff too.”  
“Well, you’re right. Here ya are, leaving for a weekend alone together. You still planning on asking her?”  
“Yeah, but it all depends on how things go. I want to take her to the creek, thinking about doing it there maybe. She likes it and it’s got some good memories.” They heard the screen door open as Yvonne and Lori stepped outside, laughing.  
“It’s good to see her smiling and laughing,” Rick said.  
“Ya damn straight it is,” Daryl replied with his own smile.  
Lori walked up to Daryl and gave him a hug. She leaned into his ear and whispered, “She’ll say yes, trust me.” He tried to hide the blush that crept up in his cheeks. He was trying to keep it a secret, but it was hard when everybody else knew. “Oh, and Daryl?” Lori added as she and Rick walked back to the house. “Carl’s already jealous. Good job,” and gave him a thumbs up.

 

Daryl had asked Yvonne the night before if they could stop by the cemetery on their way out of town. He wanted to talk to his brother for a bit. As he got out of the truck, Yvonne reached into the bag in the backseat and produced a bouquet of red, silk roses. “Thank you darlin’” Daryl said and kissed her forehead before he walked away. He arranged the flowers best he could, around the ones that Carol had left earlier in the week. He sat on the ground facing Merle’s headstone. “Don’t know exactly how to say this, but I think you would be proud of me. I’ve been seeing a shrink for about two months now. I know you’re laughing at me, but I really don’t care. I ain’t gonna say it’s fixed everything, but I’m dealing with all of it. All the shit that happened with Yvonne, losing you, it tore me up more than I thought, but I’m okay with it. I forgive you . . . for all the shit you did. All the drugs, the times you weren’t there when I needed you. I can forgive daddy now too. Michael calls me dad now, ya know. Freaked me out at first. Was afraid of what that meant. He already had shit for a dad, I didn’t want to make things worse, but I think I’m doing pretty good. Yvonne says I spoil him, but he deserves it, and I think I do too.” He stopped talking for a while and stared at his brother’s name on the granite slab. “I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna ask her to marry me. I never told you this, but I got mamma’s ring. Her engagement ring. I found it after the fire. Didn’t tell no one ‘cause I thought somebody’d try to take it away from me. It was the only thing left of her and I figured you and daddy wouldn’t want it. I only kept it ‘cause it made me think of her. Missed her so much and I didn’t ever want to forget her. Never thought I’d want to give it to somebody someday. Never thought I’d find me a woman and fall in love. But I did Merle. I found Yvonne and she’s mine and I love her. Guess you know what that feels like, huh. Carol misses the fuck outta you. Kinda worried about her sometimes. I think Sophia is the only thing keeping her tethered to this Earth. I keep watch over ‘em though, for you. I ain’t gonna let anything happen to your family Merle. They’re my family too.” He sat quietly for another minute or two contemplating what to say. “I’m taking her to the cabin. Rick, T and I put it back together after that bastard Shane tore it up. It’s the first time we really been alone together since it all happened. We ain’t been together since then. I thought I was gonna loose her, but I didn’t. She loves me too. Can ya believe that? You said nobody would ever love me but you. I love you brother, but you were wrong.” He slowly stood up and placed his hand over the words on the granite slab. “I gotta go, but we’ll come back to see ya on our way home. I want you to see how beautiful that ring looks on her finger.”  
When they arrived at the cabin, Daryl suddenly became nervous. He had been running scenarios of his proposal through his head since they left the cemetery. He didn’t know how her husband had done it and was afraid he might do something wrong. He didn’t want to do anything that would remind her of him. This had to be perfect. He had reached a tentative agreement with his mind now and hoped that it would work. After all she had been through with David, he wasn’t sure she would give marriage another chance, even with him. Once they unpacked the truck and settled in, he suggested a ride on the bike. She had ridden with him only twice, but he knew she loved it. He had even bought her a helmet of her own and her own leather jacket to wear when it got cold. Of course she said yes to the ride and hopped on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing tight. He rode her all around his grandfather’s property, which was technically his now. Merle’s half had gone to him in his will. They went by the outskirts of the property to the tree line that marked the end of ownership, to the creek where they had first made love. He stopped the bike on the edge of the creek bed and put up the kickstand. Helping her off, they sat on the grass holding hands.  
“I was thinking that maybe, after we eat, we could bring the truck and come back down here, watch the sunset.” He kissed the palm of the hand and moved closer.   
“I would love that. Maybe you can finally tell me about that dream you had.”   
The dream. The one he had the night he met her. The one that took place at this very spot. “Shit. I forgot about that. Well, not really. I remember the dream, I just forgot I told you about it.”  
“I’m glad I mentioned it then. You promised you would tell me all about it when we came back here.”  
“Hell woman. That ain’t the only dream I ever had about you. It was the first.”  
“And you still remember it?”  
“Of course sweetheart,” he said and cradled her face in his palms. “That dream was the death of me. After that dream, I knew I had to see you again. I couldn’t stop thinking about you, thinking about that dream. I think that’s when I fell in love with you. Well, it was either the dream or the kiss in the truck.”  
“That night seems so far away,” she said wistfully. “I’ll never forget the first moment I laid eyes on you. I was sitting on that curb wishing I was somewhere else. Then you found me and you took me away. I’ll never be able to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You saved me and comforted me and put me back together and I don’t think I could ever make you understand how those things have changed me. You have made me feel beautiful and smart, and important. No one had ever given me that before.”  
Daryl wanted to ask her right then and there, but had left the ring in his backpack at the cabin. “God baby, I don’t fucking deserve you. I never expected you to get in the truck with me that night. Never expected you to look in my direction. I figured that somebody like me, somebody that looked like me, would scare the shit out of you. But you sat with me and talked to me. No woman had ever been that kind to me before. I was scared to death that night. I thought it was a dream or something. You’ve given me confidence, love and supported me. I thought I was gonna lose you forever, but you came back to me. You let me come back into your life. I could spend the rest of my life showing you and telling you how much it all means to me, but it wouldn’t be enough.” They leaned into each other and kissed passionately. Daryl had to reign himself in or else his plan was going to go to shit. He reluctantly pulled away from her, both of them panting heavily. When Yvonne’s growling stomach made its appearance, they both laughed, easing some of the tension they had created.  
“God that is embarrassing. Let’s get back to the cabin so I can fill up. Sounds like I’m on empty.”  
“Sure thing darlin’. We’ll be back here soon enough.” As they stood, Daryl playfully slapped her ass. “Let’s go. I gotta get my woman fed.”  
Dinner wasn’t much, just sandwiches and chips, but it was enough to satisfy them both. They cuddled and kissed on the couch for a while until it was almost time for the sun to set. Daryl grabbed his backpack, making sure the small box that held his future was still tucked safely inside, and led Yvonne to the truck. She spent the short ride with her head resting on his shoulder and her hand intertwined with his. When they arrived at the creek, he backed the truck in so the bed would be facing the sunset. He pulled blankets and a pillow out of the extended cab of the truck and laid them out on the back. As they settled in together with their backs against the back window, the sun dipped below the horizon. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” she said staring at the now pink sky.  
“Not as beautiful as you,” he said, also staring straight ahead. His heart began to pound in his chest and his ears. “You can see this every night for the rest of your life, if you want.”  
“That would be amazing Daryl. I can’t imagine a better way to end a day.”  
“I can,” he said, “but that can wait a minute. I got something for you.” He scooted out of the bed and went into the cab to rummage in his pack. Pulling out the box, he put it in his pocket and went back to sit next to her. She eyed him with suspicion and a sly smile. She knew he wanted their first night back together to be special, and she was a little giddy inside with anticipation. “I love you Yvonne.”  
“I know you do. I love you too, you know that.”  
“I do.” He stuttered a bit getting the next part out. “When I said you could see this sunset every night for the rest of your life, I meant it. I never thought I’d find someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” He lifted his hips slightly to pull the box from his pocket. “I know you had a bad marriage, a bad experience, but it don’t have to be like that. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love and adore you, how much I love Michael. I want us to be a real family.” He picked up the box from where he had set it by his leg. He slowly opened it to show her the promise inside. “Yvonne Bradley, be my wife, please.” He looked at her then, her face was beaming and wet from tears of surprise and joy. She held out her left hand to him.  
“I would be proud and honored to be your wife Daryl Dixon.” He slid the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and the tiny, cheap, and more than likely fake diamond shone like a beacon in the moonlight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him until he choked. “I didn’t expect this at all!”  
“The ring was my momma’s. It ain’t much and I’ll get you a better one, a bigger one, but I couldn’t wait that long to ask you.”  
“No you won’t. This ring means more to me than anything you could buy me. I’m not giving it up. You’ll have to pry it off my cold, dead finger.” He laughed.  
“Whatever you want sweetheart. I just want ya to be happy. I want to be the one who makes you happy.”  
“You are the only one who has ever made me happy.” She lifted her eyes to him. “Would you like to make me happy right now?”  
He rested his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath. “Yes baby girl. I need you.” He moved his lips slowly against her neck, his hands running up and down her arms. He licked a line up her neck, to her jawline and then her lips. They kissed slowly, their tongues dancing and sliding around each other. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and pulled lightly, expelling a deep moan from her.  
“Move to the tailgate, on your back,” he said in a deep, dark voice, filled with desire. She shivered in his arms and hurriedly did as she was told. He followed her, crawling off the truck. He stood in front of her and parted her thighs, coming to stand between them, his hardness resting comfortably against her heat. He closed his eyes and ran his hands up her body from her thighs, to her stomach, ribs, breasts and arms. Up and down, over and over again. He inched her shirt up and pulled it over her head. He leaned over her kissing and licking every inch of her skin, spending more time with her breasts as he pulled the cups of her bra down and took each one in his mouth. He pushed them together and took long licks, getting both nipples at one time. Her breathing became shallow and her body squirmed beneath him. He licked the shell of her ear and whispered, “I need your mouth baby girl. I want to see those beautiful, full lips stretched around my dick.”  
She moaned uncontrollably as he lifted himself from her. He took her by the hand and helped her to sit up, then put his arms around her waist to help her jump from the tailgate. She immediately fell to her knees before him, unlacing and removing his boots. She unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and let them fall to the ground. Then she wrapped her hand around his erection through the fabric of his boxers and he hissed at her touch. He stepped out of his pants and kicked them to the side. Her eyes moved up to look at him. They were dark, seductive and full of possibilities. She tugged the last barrier down his legs and he kicked them away to land next to his pants. His fully erect, glistening cock sprung free. One hand massaged his balls gently while the other squeezed the base of his cock. A low guttural moan escaped from the depth of his chest followed by a string of curse words. “Fuck, baby girl. I missed this so much, missed you so much.” She licked the pre come from his engorged head, and licked her way down his shaft, pressing her tongue against the vein on the underside. When her mouth fully engulfed him, he staggered backward and held her head tight against him, so as not to be separated from her. They both recovered quickly and without missing a beat, her hands continued to massage and pump him as her mouth sucked him. He had to stop this. He wouldn’t last this way and still needed to taste her and be inside her. Reluctantly, and breathlessly, he said, “Gotta stop baby girl. Gonna come soon if you don’t stop, and I ain’t finished with you. I gotta taste you, make you come. I gotta be inside you, make you scream”  
She hummed in approval and he jerked her mouth off him. “No, no baby girl. Already told you, ya can’t be doing that. Stand up.” She stood and he lifted her up, setting her on the tailgate. He spoke low into her ear as he took the rest of her clothes off. “I’m gonna lick your pussy, suck it, fuck you with my tongue and my fingers.” The smell of her arousal was intoxicating. He felt drunk, his mind was reeling from lust and desire. He peeled her pants from her legs and threw them in the pile with his. He removed his shirt, leaving him completely naked in front of her. He leaned his body over and rubbed his nose in the crotch of her lace panties, inhaling the scent of her wetness. And she was so wet for him, as always. He was still stunned that he could do this to her, turn her into fucking Niagara Falls. He rubbed her clit through the lace with the pad of this thumb. She moaned and whined at this touch. He wanted her in his mouth and couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled at the lace until it came apart in his hands.  
He took two fingers and pulled her lips apart and placed a gentle kiss to her engorged clit. “Oh fuck! Daryl!” she cried.  
“Does this feel good?” He licked her from bottom to top. “Do I make you feel good?” He sucked on her clit and pulled it with his mouth.  
“Yes! Oh god yes! Please don’t stop!” she cried.  
“Baby, I’m not gonna stop.” He pushes two fingers inside her. “I’m just getting started. I’m gonna make you come all night long. I missed you so fucking much.” He sucks on her hard nub and her hands fly to the back of his head. She twists her fingers in his soft hair, holding him in place. He kisses, sucks, licks and pulls at her with his teeth while adding another finger and increasing his speed. He hums as he works his mouth on her and her cries and moans get louder. She begins to shake and shutter when she feels the fire of orgasm in her belly.  
“Fuck Daryl! I’m gonna come! Please! I’m gonna come!”  
“Come for me woman. Come for me now.” She releases into his eager mouth and he laps her up like a kitten with milk. He doesn’t stop until her body has gone slack. He kisses his way up her body, as he did before, stopping at her breasts again, drawing each one into his mouth for a moment. With his face less than an inch from hers, he speaks. “I love you, and I promise that I will always be here for you, in every way you need me. I will love you like this every night for the rest of our lives.” He takes her mouth with his. She can taste herself on him, and he can taste himself on her. They moan into each other as their tongues collide. “I can’t wait any longer,” he says as he pulls his lips from hers. “Are you ready for me baby?”  
“Yes,” she replies and wraps her legs around his waist. He pins her arms above her head with one hand, as he guides himself to her entrance with the other. Before he enters her, he says one last thing. “It’s gonna be like this forever, Yvonne. Me and you, forever. I can’t get enough of you baby. You’re beautiful and mine, and I will never get enough of you.” She gasps when his head breaches her chasm. He enters her slowly and when he is balls deep inside her, he doesn’t move. He gives her time to adjust to him and when she smiles and nods her head, he pulls out and thrusts back into her. He is so close already. Her tight walls squeezing him without mercy. He is panting and cursing under his breath. Her body is writhing beneath him. He is ready to come, but controls himself. He promised she would come all night and he is gonna keep that promise. He begins to rub her again and her cries become screams as his thrusts get harder and faster. “Let me touch you, please,” she begs him. He releases her arms and they wind around him to his back. She feels that pressure again, the fire has returned. She digs her nails into his back, within his scars, and drags them down. The pain is immense, but the pleasure of being inside her, of fucking her, of loving her again overshadows it. His body begins to shutter and he knows he is about to come, he can’t stop it this time.  
“Baby, you have to come. Please,” he whines, desperate for his release. And when her second orgasm hits her, it’s like a tidal wave. She screams his name into the darkness. That sound, the sound of his name falling from her lips in pure ecstasy, is his undoing. He releases his seed into her, pumping harder and faster. Growls, followed by her name come falling from his own lips. When his body stops moving, he collapses on top of her without thinking. When he realizes he must be crushing her, he moves to roll to the side, but she holds him against her, laying his head to rest between her breasts.  
They lay there, arms around each other. He listens to her heartbeat return to normal, as his does the same. He lifts his head and looks into her eyes. He pushes a strand of her soft, blonde hair behind her ear. “Give me five minutes darlin’, then we can head back to the cabin. I should be ready for round two by then.” She brings his face to hers and kisses his lips softly.  
“You better be, Mr. Dixon.”


	32. Chapter 32 A Big Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bachelor and bachelorette parties. The pre-wedding prep, and stress. Wonderful party gifts. A flash of platonic Rickyl, and one of Carol's most famous lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo sorry this is late. I hope you think that it is worth it. This has given me fits and I finally had to split this into two chapters. The actual wedding will me the last (I mean it this time) chapter. Thanks to all of you that have appreciated and supported this story and me. This was my firstborn and I am sad to see it end. Please check out my other stories, they are a hodge podge of Daryl goodness. The last part of this epic story should be up in two to three days. Please let me know what you think. Comments, while not required, do inspire me and fill my soul with confidence.

Chapter 32  
A Big Step 

Daryl downed another shot. It was his third, and he was still pretty sober. Rick, T-Dog and Phillip were way ahead of him in this category. He was having fun though, shooting pool and drinking with his friends. The goal wasn’t just to have fun though, the guys were trying to calm his nerves. Tomorrow was going to be the biggest day of his life, a day he thought would never come. A day he had been told over and over his whole life he didn’t deserve. He had thought, for a while now, that he did deserve it. He deserved Yvonne and Michael and their love just as much as they deserved his.

 

“It’s your turn D,” T-Dog said and smacked Daryl’s ass with his pool stick. “Get your head outta your ass and scratch already so I can win this.”

 

“Fuck you T. I won the first game. You win this one and it’s a gift from me to you. Make yourself useful and get us a round of beers. You’re gonna have some time to kill till your next shot.”

 

“You’re an asshole Daryl,” he said as left in the direction of the bartender. 

 

“Wow T, no one’s ever said that to me before,” Daryl said barely containing his laughter as he sunk the number nine ball in the left side pocket. This was the first night all the guys had been together for some time now, usually seeing each other in passing as they moved through town or an occasional lunch date. Phillip was now an official member of their club. Shortly after the incident, he decided to leave Woodbury, and when a spot as Rick’s partner came open, he transferred to the Senoia Sheriff’s Department. Daryl respected Phillip for what he had done for Michael and Yvonne and was now proud to call him a friend. 

 

As the night went on, there was more pool, beer and a couple games of darts, but when Rick sent one sailing into the wall next to Daryl’s head, they were banned for the rest of the night. Regardless, they had fun. Daryl was teased relentlessly by T-Dog and Phillip for being pussy whipped and losing his freedom, and his manhood.

 

“Damn right she’s got ‘em,” Daryl said. “They feel a lot better when she’s holding ‘em anyway,” he said, too drunk to give a fuck and the whole table erupted with laughter. Rick was in no position to tease though, and instead, offered some drunken advice.

 

“When a woman says she’s fine, she ain’t fine. She wants ya to find out what’s wrong, and if ya can’t that means ya ain’t paying enough attention to her,” he slurred. “Women are stealthy too. They ain’t gonna give anything away. They make you work for every piece of information they have. Ya gotta be persistent, if ya stop asking them about shit, they’ll assume you don’t care about them anymore.” He patted Daryl on the shoulder. “Be vigilant man. Don’t give up, even when she curses you six ways to Sunday. And ya gotta talk to her about everything. Silence kills man.”

 

Daryl stopped him with a slap to the back. “You’re a wise man Rick Grimes. Thank you man. Thank you for being my friend, and my best man. I love you Rick.” T-Dog and Phillip decided to interrupt the lovefest before things went too far. “Alright y’all. Dixon already has a woman, so do you Grimes. Don’t want Lori or Yvonne to get jealous now do ya?” T said trying to pull the two men apart. “Besides,” Phillip added, trying to help Daryl stand up straight, “I don’t think Rick would look as good as Yvonne will in that dress.” Daryl turned to face his new friend. “She’s gonna be beautiful man. She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. She deserves better than me.” As they walked outside to get in the cab, Phillip replied, “You’re probably right,” and shoved Daryl into the backseat. “What the fuck?!” he said as his head hit the seat.

 

Lori and Jackie were mixing the punch as Carol was setting up the buffet. Lori and Yvonne had been decorating and cooking all day, and now that Carol and Jackie had arrived, the wine punch was flowing. “You think the guys are drunk by now?” Jackie asked them.

 

“They haven’t been gone long, but I think Rick was halfway to shitfaced before they left, so yes, by now they probably are,” Lori said, filling everyone’s glass again.

 

“I think we better get into the food before we end up drunker than the men,” Carol said and made a beeline for the buffet table. It was all appetizers and desserts; crackers, chips, dip, tiny sandwiches, smoked sausage balls and a veggie plate, among many yummy chocolate things scattered around the table. They had thrown Yvonne a wedding shower about a month ago, but it had been very tame, giving mainly household items and decretive things for the cabin where she, Daryl and Michael would be living. Tonight, the girls had planned a surprise for her. All the gifts were hidden in the hall closet and after they had settled down with their food, Lori and Jackie excused themselves to retrieve the gift bags.

 

Yvonne almost choked on a sausage ball when she saw all the bags they were bringing in. “What is this?” she asked astonished.

 

“This is your bachelorette shower,” Jackie said, grinning from ear to ear. “We thought you might need a few things for the honeymoon. We got you stocked up.” Lori handed her the first bag and went to sit next to her.

 

“Oh my god. I don’t know what to say. Y’all didn’t have to do this, but thank you.” Carol cleared her throat, “You don’t have to say a thing hon, but you have to tell us what Daryl said when ya get back.” They all erupted into a fit of giggles as she reached into the bag. It was not at all what she was expecting. She pulled out a white lace bustier with a tiny bow at the cleavage and a matching white lace thong. “I thought you could were it under your dress tomorrow,” Lori told her. “You’ll feel beautiful inside and out,” she laughed again.

 

“You never told us where y’all are going on the honeymoon. Is it a big secret?” Carol asked as she handed her two more bags.

 

“It must be a secret, ‘cause he won’t even tell me. I think the guys helped him plan it, so they probably know. He just said to pack tiny clothes, one nice dress and my bathing suit.” She dug into the other bag and pulled out a red lace bra and panty set and another one in black. “Well, at least I have the tiny clothes part taken care of,” she laughed. “Lord Carol, do you think I’m gonna be wearing these long enough for it to be worth it?”

 

“Maybe, maybe not, but tell Daryl the shop won’t take them back if they’re ripped apart.”

 

“I don’t think he’s gonna give a shit either way,” Jackie said. “T sure as hell don’t.” The women were hysterical with wine fueled laughter at this point. Yvonne opened four more bags of lingerie which included a couple of corsets, stockings, a very nice pair of thigh high black leather boots, a nurse’s outfit and a French maid’s costume. When she had finished opening all her presents, she sat back on the couch and finished her fifth glass of punch.

 

“This is too much girls. You really didn’t have to do all this, but I love it. Thank you.”

 

“There’s one more thing,” Lori said and went back out to the hallway. She returned with a medium sized moving box and sat it on the floor in front of Yvonne. “We all went in for this one together. We didn’t know what you guys are into, so I hope that you can use a few of these. Maybe y’all can try something new.” Yvonne gave her a weird and confused look, then opened the box. The first thing she saw was three boxes of condoms. “These things may last longer than you think. I hate these things. I don’t make him wear one unless he has to.”

 

“Yeah well, Rick and I did the same thing until there was Carl. Keep looking, there are better things than that in there.” She pulled out a pair of handcuffs, a ball gag, a leash and collar, nipple clamps and blindfolds that match every outfit she had received. She just stared at the motley assortment of sex toys.

 

“I always wanted to try this stuff, but David would only do it his way. He didn’t know what he was doing, but didn’t care, I think. Is Daryl into this?”

 

“I don’t really know if he’s into it or not, but he would probably be willing to do it if he knew you wanted to try it,” Carol said. “You forget who his brother was.”

 

“Merle was into BDSM?” the three other women said in unison.

 

“Not all the time. He was afraid to bring it up at first because of what I’d gone through with Ed, but I found some of his toys one day and asked him about them. I trusted him, knew enough about him to know he’d never hurt me like Ed did. I’m sure Daryl had to have known too. Merle spent years trying to get him laid, he probably gave him a lot of unsolicited advice.”

 

“WOW, just wow,” was all Yvonne could say. “I need another drink and more food.” The rest of the night as spent laughing, and telling stories on their men. Carol’s by far were the most interesting, of course, and gave Yvonne lots of inspiration for her honeymoon week. They had all passed out in various spots in the living room by midnight. The wedding wasn’t until evening, so they would have plenty of time to sober up. Yvonne’s vibrating ass woke her in the wee hours of the morning, it was a text from Daryl.

 

-Hey beautiful. How are ya? Have a good night? 

-Yep. Got some presents that I think you’ll like and learned more about your brother than I ever wanted to know.”

-Carol got shitfaced, didn’t she? 

-Yep, we all did. I miss you. It’s not fair that I can’t see you.

-I know sweetheart. I wanna see you too, but when we do see each other, you’ll be my wife. I can’t wait. I love you so much.

-I can’t wait either. I love you too. Try to get some sleep. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.

-Yeah, so do you beautiful. Goodnight. Sweet dreams.

 

Daryl tucked his phone back in his jacket pocket and snuggled in next to Rick on T-Dog’s pull out couch. T and Phillip were on the floor next to them. The drunk was starting to wear off and his nerves were on high alert again. He was so very tired and the sounds of the three other men snoring were driving him crazy. He got out of the makeshift bed and grabbed his smokes, he stepped outside. He knew the nervousness and anxiety wasn’t from fear, it was from excitement. He had never been this happy before and never had anything as wonderful as this to look forward to. After three cigarettes and a lot of thinking, he looked at his phone, three o’clock in the morning. His eyelids were beginning to droop and he didn’t want the guys telling Yvonne that he had passed out on the back porch. He ground his cigarette into the grass and went back inside. He once again cuddled into Rick and closed his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly.

 

Yvonne woke up to the smell of bacon wafting through the house, and smiled without being conscious of it. She could hear conversation coming from the kitchen and rose from the recliner she had slept on. She followed her nose to the food. “Good morning,” she said and sat down at the table. 

 

“Good morning Mrs. Dixon,” the trio said in unison. Lori sat a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her.

 

“Damn Lori, this smells so good,” Yvonne said as she picked up her fork and dove in.

 

“Thanks! Rick and Carl say they just love my pancakes. I usually only make them on Sundays, but this is a special day, and I thought it would be a treat.” Once all the women were seated with food and fresh hot coffee in front of them, Yvonne asked, “Okay, so what the schedule for today?”

 

Lori picked up the itinerary she had written out and began to recite it. “It’s nine now, we have to be at the salon at one. I thought we could go shopping a bit before that. You’ll need a new bag for all your goodies from last night. Then after that, we’ll go pick up Sophia from her friend’s house and head for the salon. We’re all getting our hair and make-up done, then getting a manicure. We should get to the church by three-thirty at the latest and that will give up plenty of time to get ourselves dressed and have some bridal party pictures done. Rick and I are keeping up with each other today, so we will all be on the same page. The guys don’t have to do as much as we do and I’m afraid they’ll get lazy and lose track of the time.”

 

“Wonder if they’re even awake yet?” Jackie asked out loud.

 

“Only one way to find out,” Lori replied and grabbed her phone off the table and dialed Rick’s number. He picked up after three rings.

 

“MMmmmmmm?” he said into the phone. He hadn’t even looked at the screen before he answered.

 

“Good morning sweetheart, how are you feeling this morning?”

 

“Like fucking shit Lori. How the hell are you girls this fine morning?”

 

“Can you not be an ass when you’re hung over? Not my fault we can hold our liquor and y’all can’t. Anyway, just wanted to make sure you boys were still alive and Daryl didn’t skip town.”

 

“Yeah we’re still alive, barely. Daryl’s around here somewhere. Woke up with his arms around me, breathing down my neck. I think Phil got a picture, gotta confiscate his phone before he sends it out.” Just then, Lori heard Daryl yelling in the background.

 

“You talking to Lori?” he asked.

 

“Yeah, you want to talk to her?”

 

“Naw,” he said, “just ask her how her how my girl’s doing.”

 

“Would he like to speak to his girl?” Lori asked, smiling at Yvonne.

 

“I’m sure he would,” Rick replied and handed over his phone, going to look for Phillip’s.

 

“Hey Lori,” he said when he took the phone, “How’s she doing? Can I talk to her?”

 

“Sure Daryl. Hold on.” Lori handed the phone to the bride-to-be.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey darlin’. How are you? You doing okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m just fine. How are you? You sound like you tied one on pretty good last night.”

 

“Yep, we all did. It was one hell of a night, woke up in bed with Rick this morning . . . . but I was thinking about you all night.”

 

“Well, that’s good to know. You’ll just have to be gentle when you break it off with him, your mine and I don’t want him getting jealous.” The rest of the girls laughed.

 

“Don’t worry, I think he’ll understand.” Yvonne could hear the smile on his face when he said it. “I can’t wait to see you later. I’m so nervous. I hope I don’t forget what to say.”

 

“Well, as long as you’re paying attention to the preacher you won’t, but if you do, I think everyone knows how we feel about each other.”

 

“Yeah, they do. Listen, we’re gonna pick up the boys before we get to the church, so don’t worry about that. Just do what you girls gotta do to get dolled up. I’ll be waiting at the altar for you.”

 

“I’m nervous too, but excited. I can’t wait to be our wife. I love you.”

 

“I can’t wait to be your husband. I love you baby. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

 

Daryl handed the phone back to Rick, who had been unsuccessful in his quest to find Phillip’s phone. The guys were getting ready to go out for breakfast and pick up Michael and Carl before heading to the church. The girls were getting ready too. They packed their dresses and accessories into Lori’s SUV and headed to the shopping center to buy a bag for Yvonne’s honeymoon items. The shopping didn’t take long and they decided to pick up Sophia early and have lunch. They wouldn’t have the opportunity to eat until the reception, and Yvonne just knew that her stomach would make an appearance during the most solemn part of the ceremony. Everybody had salad, a last ditch effort to make sure they would fit into the dresses. They got to the salon about ten minutes before their appointment time. The owner was a friend of Jackie’s and she had offered her services at no cost for the entire bridal party. The shop was closed for the day, so the girls could get the full attention of the staff. To conserve time, hair and make-up were done at the same time and nails were done after. Even Sophia got everything done too. She was an honorary bridesmaid and would be wearing a smaller version of the dress the older women were wearing. There was laughter and champagne and more stories. By the time they left for the church, Yvonne had calmed down a bit and was focused on the end game, becoming Mrs. Daryl Dixon.

 

The men were enjoying their big country breakfast, the table was filled with eggs made every way, bacon, sausage, grits, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy. They had almost turned it into a buffet by picking food off each other’s plates. They were still quite hungover, but the grease and bottomless cups of coffee were helping. Rick had never found Phillip’s phone, but knew he had it on his person. He kept a sharp eye on the man to see if he would take it out, but he didn’t. Daryl took his phone out of his back pocket when he felt it vibrate, it was a text from Yvonne.

 

-Tell T thanks for the pics.

“What the hell does that mean?” he said out loud.

 

“What happened?” Rick asked.

 

“I don’t know. It’s a text from Yvonne.” He passed his phone to Rick so he could read it.

 

“Shit!” he exclaimed, looking right at T-Dog. “It was you! I thought it was Phil.”

 

“You thought it was me what?” Phillip asked confused.

 

“I knew someone took a picture of me and Daryl ‘cuddling’ this morning. I thought it was you.”

 

“Wait, what?” Daryl asked confused.

 

“I took a picture of y’all this morning. You were so cute. You were the big spoon and you had your arms around Rick. It looked like you had your face buried in his neck. Thought your women would get a kick out of it. Don’t tell me she cancelled the wedding because of that?”

 

“No, uh, she said to tell you thanks,” Daryl said, still a little confused. “Can I see it?”

 

“Nope. She’s got a copy. Make her show it to ya. Embrace it guys. Don’t be ashamed of your love.” T was laughing like a maniac now and Phillip was trying to keep from doing the same. Daryl wasn’t bothered by it, just surprised. He’d woken up in worse places than Rick’s arms. Women did that shit all the time, didn’t they? He bet the girls woke up all cuddled together this morning. He didn’t understand why Rick was so upset about it.

 

“Come on Rick,” Daryl said, putting his arm around him, “I love you man, just not like that. You afraid Lori’s gonna be jealous?”

 

“Jealous of you,” Rick said as he almost burst into laughter too. “We better go pick up the boys, they’re probably chomping at the bit to get to the church.”

 

 

Both Michael and Daryl were quiet on the ride. Daryl could tell the boy was as nervous as he was, but wasn’t sure what to say to him. When they arrived at the First Baptist Church of Senoia, they grabbed their tuxedoes and headed inside to the Groom’s changing room. Before they walked through the door, Michael tugged on Daryl’s shirt stopping him from going inside. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” the boy said quietly. Daryl told the other’s to go on in, they would be along directly. The two went over to the steps and sat down.

 

“What’s on your mind, buddy?”

 

“I’m just a little nervous, that’s all. Are you nervous?”

 

“Yeah, I am, but I’m excited too. Never thought I’d have a family. This is a big step for all of us, but I’m happy. I’m happy that Yvonne is gonna be my wife and we’re gonna be together forever. I’m happy that you’re gonna be my son. I don’t really know how to be a husband or a dad, but I’m gonna do the best I can. I’m gonna try my best to make sure you and your momma are happy too.”

 

“I’m glad you’re my dad now. I don’t have to worry about mom any more. You take good care of us, and I just want to say thank you and I love you.”

 

Daryl reached over and pulled him into a hug. “I love you too Michael. Let’s go get ready. I think we’re gonna have pictures taken before the ceremony of just the guys. I want to get a few of just you and me too, okay?”

 

“Cool!” he replied and hugged his dad again, then ran through the front door.

 

Lori and Jackie were helping Yvonne into her wedding dress. She had chosen a white, strapless dress with lace crisscrossing down the middle. They heard the men arrive and Yvonne moved to look out the window, but Sophia stopped her. “It’s bad luck Aunt Yvonne. You can’t see him yet.”

 

“I just need to make sure he’s here. I have this fear that he’s gonna forget, or change his mind. Maybe the guys want me to think he’s here, so I won’t be upset.”

 

“Yes, they don’t want you to be upset until you get to the altar and see that he isn’t there. That’s their plan.” Jackie patted her on the knee and laughed. I’ll run out real quick and make sure honey.”

 

“Thanks Jackie. I know it’s stupid. I’m just real nervous. Last time I did this, I wasn’t and should have been.” Carol and Lori sat beside her on the bench.

 

“Being nervous is okay, as long as you’re not questioning your decision. You don’t need to question his.”

 

“I know Carol, but I can’t stop it. God, what I’d give for a cigarette.” The two women laughed. 

 

“How about I go ask Daryl if he has four he can spare?” the older woman asked.

 

“Thank you, but I bet he’s smoked them all by now.

 

Grabbing Sophia as she walked out the door, Carol said, “I’ll try to get to him before he does.”

 

Yvonne took advantage of the fact that she and Lori were alone in the room now. “Thank you for being my matron of honor. It means a lot.”

 

“Are you kidding? I would have fought both of them for this. It means a lot to me too. I’m just so happy for you and Daryl. He’s been alone for so long, never interested in anybody really. Not enough to spend the rest of his life with them anyway.” When the two other women came back into the room, Carol was holding four cigarettes. 

 

“I let Sophia stay with Michael and Carl. I told them they should go to the sanctuary and look at the flowers.” The four women snuck out the back entrance of the church and lit up. Yvonne’s was gone in under two minutes, but it had relaxed her somewhat. They returned to the bridal room with approximately thirty minutes to go before the ceremony was to start and there was a knock on the door.

 

“Momma, can I come in. I got something to show ya.”

 

“Of course baby, come in.” When Michael came through the door Paul followed him.

 

“Oh my god!” Yvonne exclaimed and ran to hug her former father-in-law. “I didn’t know you were coming! Thank you!” Paul pulled back from the hug and gave her a brilliant, proud smile.

 

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I thought, if it’s okay, I’d like to give you away. You don’t have anybody else to do it, do you?”

 

“Oh Paul! I would be honored if you would. I always wished that you had been my real father, ya know.” He put his arm around her one more time.

 

“I know honey. Me too.”

 

“Mamma?” 

 

“Yes baby?”

 

“Would it be okay if I gave you away too? I just want Daryl to know how much I trust him.” Yvonne wiped tears from her eyes.

 

“Of course baby. I would be honored. I am so proud of you and I love you so much.” Lori and Carol rushed over with tissues to blot the tears away so her make up wouldn’t be ruined.

 

“Alright Michael,” Lori said to him. “It’s time for you to go and make sure Daryl is at the altar. We’ll be coming out soon.” He kissed his mamma’s cheek and dashed out the door. “We have to line up. As soon as we hear that music, head out. I’m in the front, then Carol, Jackie and Sophia. When they start playing the wedding march, you and Paul come out.”

 

“I know Lori,” Yvonne said grinning. “I’ve done this before, remember. I know how it works.”

 

Lori smiled back at her, “I know. I guess I’m a little nervous too.” When the music started, Lori and the bridesmaids walked out the door and into the sanctuary.


	33. Chapter 33 From This Day Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding, the reception and the wedding night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is now a completed work. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you to all those who left kudos and comments. Thank you to all those who at least gave it a chance even if you did not like it. This was my first foray into published fan fiction and your response and support has been overwhelming, and a boost to my lowly writers ego. Special thanks go out to Debbief722 and KrissyG927 for their unwavering support. I love you guys! Thank you for taking this journey with Daryl, Yvonne and myself. We love you all. Please let me know what you think. I know you will.  
> Before I forget, I added new tags. Check them out!

Chapter 33  
From This Day Forward

When the wedding march started, Paul led her arm in arm into the sanctuary. They paused at the entry and she saw him with her own eyes. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo. She knew he was itching to get out of it, but was also willing to endure the torture if it would make this day special for them. He had gotten a haircut, not anything drastic, but it was out of his eyes and off his shoulders. Beside him stood Rick and Michael, co-best men followed by T-Dog, Phillip and Carl.

 

When they arrived at the altar, Paul gave her hand to Daryl, kissed her on the cheek, and took a step back. Daryl lightly squeezed her hand and whispered, “You look beautiful.” When Reverend Porter cleared his throat, the bride and groom dropped their hands and faced forward. Reverend Porter started the ceremony, but Daryl and Yvonne were too nervous to listen. They knew and understood what to listen for and just let the moment take them. When the preacher asked who gave this woman to this man, Paul took a step forward and Michael stepped out of line. “I do, as her father,” Paul said with pride. “And me too, as her son,” the boy said loudly, causing everyone to stifle their giggles. They took the traditional vows, feeling that they had already expressed their true love for each other, and besides, Daryl still wasn’t confident with words. He was afraid of embarrassing himself and his wife. For all the work and energy that was put into making this moment happen, it didn’t last long. Fifteen minutes later, they were pronounced husband and wife and Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Dixon were introduced to the world. Then he kissed her, all the men whooped and hollered and the women clapped and cried. They made their way back down the aisle followed by Michael, Rick and Lori, T-Dog and Jackie, Phillip and Carol, and Carl and Sophia. The newlyweds were ushered into a stretch Rolls Royce, procured by T-Dog and taken to the reception hall, while the wedding party and guests followed. 

 

“I love you Mrs. Dixon,” Daryl said and was on top of her as soon as the door to the Rolls was shut. He kissed her deeply and passionately, his tongue wrapping around her. “Fuck, I want to take you right here, right now. Think I can get the driver to pull over for fifteen minutes?” he asked as his lips and tongue trailed done her neck. 

 

“We can’t do that Mr. Dixon, we have people waiting on us. Besides, I’m not prepared. You’ll have to wait until tonight.” Daryl was desperately trying to get his hands up her dress.

 

“You’re not prepared? Give me two minutes, I can get you prepared,” he said against her skin. She lifted his head and smiled sweetly.

 

“It wouldn’t take two minutes, but I really want to make tonight special. I have plans Mr. Dixon, and you’re not going to spoil them. I just hope you like it.”

 

He moved himself to sit next to her. “Don’t want to spoil anything. You’re my wife now, everything else is just an added bonus. We’ve got forever to do whatever we want whenever we want. I can wait a few more hours.” When the Rolls came to a stop, he took her hand and helped her out. He kissed her slowly at the entrance to the reception hall. “I love you Mrs. Dixon.”

 

“I love you too Mr. Dixon.”

“Are you ready to celebrate being Mrs. Daryl Dixon?”

 

“I’ve been waiting patiently for a long time. I’m ready to show off my husband.” The second they walked through the door, they were accosted by friends and family all giving congratulatory hugs and handshakes. The photographer followed them as they made the rounds meeting and greeting the guests. When it came time for toasts, Rick stood proudly next to his brother.

 

“I’ve known this man since we were just kids. I’ve seen him go through a lot in his life and I’m sure there are a lot of things that I never saw, but he is the strongest man I know. He found an equally strong woman to love who loves him back. Daryl, I love you brother. You deserve all the happiness that this beautiful woman gives you.” Everyone cheered and clapped as Daryl pulled Rick into a tight bear hug, slapping each other on the back. 

 

Then Paul stood, taking everyone’s attention. “This beautiful woman is my daughter, not by blood or by law, but by love. She deserves so much more that she had and know she’s found it. The first moment I saw Daryl and heard him talk about Yvonne, I knew he was the man she needed in her life. I knew he loved her and Michael and would never hurt them.” He turned to Daryl and faced him. “I‘m your father-in-law now son. You have my love and respect.” Daryl wiped a tear from his eye. He’d never had a father, well not a good one anyway. Now, not only did he have a wife a wife and son, he had someone he could call dad too.

 

After the speeches were made, the photographer took pictures of the wedding party along with some of the new family together. Cutting the cake went without a hitch. They decided not to assault each other with it so Daryl wouldn’t have to pay extra to get the tux dry cleaned. The first dance was where things hit a small bump. Daryl had been taking lessons and no one but Michael knew. He had taken him to every lesson on the sly, using the excuse of wanting to bond with his son, which he did. Yvonne, however was confident in the fact that neither of them knew how to dance and it would just be a fun, clumsy dance. She was more than a little shocked when her husband literally wept her off her feet. He glided them across the floor like a professional. She was a little lost and confused, but happy that he had done this for her.

 

Most of the guests left as the sun was setting, leaving only the wedding party and Paul. They all sat around one of the larger tables talking. “Okay, I’ve been real good and I like surprises as much as the next girl, but you have to tell me where we are going on our honeymoon,” Daryl’s new wife said, drumming her fingers on the table. He took a deep breath and looked around the table smiling sheepishly.

 

“I’ll tell you if you show me the picture T sent you.”

 

“Dammit Daryl. My phone is in my bag in Lori’s SUV. How about I show you on the way there or when we get there. I promise it will be the first thing I do when I can get to it.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “I promise.” He reached over and pulled her onto his lap, kissing her sweetly.

 

“Okay, I guess. But trust me, I am not gonna fall for your feminine wiles every time.” 

 

“You already have son,” Paul said laughing. Daryl blushed a nice pink color.

 

“Yeah, I have.” He took a deep breath, “Since it’s late, I got a room at The Georgian Terrace for tonight and tomorrow we’re going to Tybee Island for the week.” Her arms went around his neck in a python grip and she squealed in his ear, nearly knocking them both on the floor. “Please don’t kill me before I get my wedding night,” he begged jokingly as his windpipe constricted under her arms. She blushed and let him go. 

 

“Well then, I suppose we should get going then. I’ll go get my bags out of Lori’s car.” 

 

“Put them in the Rolls. We’re traveling in style tonight wife.”

 

“Anything you say husband.”

Michael made a face. “Y’all aren’t gonna be doing that when you get home, are ya?” Daryl gave his wife a kiss.

 

“It’s gonna be a lot worse when we get back boy. Be prepared.” Daryl told him.

 

“Yuck! I’ll just stay in my room and play video games.”

 

“All the better for us,” Daryl mumbled as he went to collect the bags.

 

After they hugged everyone and said their goodbyes, the newlyweds left for the hotel. Yvonne showed him the picture that T had sent her and Lori. He laughed his ass off and threatened to have it framed and sent to Rick as a gift. When they arrived at the hotel, Daryl checked them in getting the key cards and following the valet up to their room, where the couple hurried the poor man out as fast as they could. As soon as he was gone, Daryl had her pressed up against the door with his mouth on her throat and a knee between her legs. “I’m ready for my surprise woman,” he said, his hot breath on her skin. “Give it to me . . . now,” he growled.

 

“It’s in the pink bag,” she told him, her own breathes short and shallow. “Do you want me to show them to you, or do you want to see for yourself?” He pulled himself off her and went to the bed where the bag lay. He unzipped the bag and looked inside, then turned to look at her with an evil grin on his face. He proceeded to unpack the bag, laying the contents on the large California King sized bed.

 

“Holy.Fucking.Shit.” he whispered as he looked at all the toys. “You sure you want to do this? Did you buy all this?” he said with childlike wonder and amazement.

 

“These are the presents I told you about this morning. Each one of them bought an outfit or two, but the toys were a group gift.”

 

“Carol picked out the toys, didn’t she?” he asked as he fondled the nipple clamp.

 

“Well, I don’t know for sure. They just said they all went in together for them.”

 

“They may have all put in money for this, but Carol was the one who filled the basket. You forget who she was married to.”

 

“That was exactly what she said,” Yvonne said laughing. “So, are you interested in trying this? Because I am.” He laid the nipple clamps on the bed and sat down, pulling her close resting his face on her stomach.

 

“Yes, I’m interested, but even if I wasn’t, I would do this for you . . . . with you. I will always do whatever I have to do to make you happy . . . and get in your panties.” He put his hands on her waist and threw her onto the bed. Hovering over her face, he kissed her hard, his hands roaming all over her. “You gotta take this off or I’m gonna rip it off,” he said sitting up and taking her with him. “Strip for me baby girl. I wanna see what you’re wearing under that dress.” She crawled off the bed and stood in front of him.

 

“I’m gonna need some help,” she said and turned her back to him. He stood and pulled the zipper down. She let the dress drop to the floor and turned around stepping out of it. She was wearing the strapless lace teddy and thong Lori had given her. He gently and reverently touched the lace with the tips of his fingers. He looked up at her with darkened eyes, licking his lips. He ran his hands down her body feeling the luxurious fabric, then reaching around he kneaded the flesh of her ass. He stood and spoke, “On your back,” he said in a deep and lecherous voice. She did as she was told. He picked up her dress from the floor and laid it on the chair, then stood in front of her removing his tuxedo.

 

“Hands above your head, knees up, legs spread. I want to see my wife.” She obliged his command as he looked over the menagerie of toys and chose a white blindfold. He leaned over her body and wrapped it around her eyes. Then he took two pairs of handcuffs and attached each wrist to the headboard behind her. “Is this okay?” he asked running his finger tip down her cheek and across her lips. She only nodded her consent. “If this gets to be too much, you need to tell me, okay? You want a safe word?” She shook her head. “You get one anyway. I don’t want this to hurt you. I want this to be good for us. I want to make you cum like this. What’s your safe word baby girl?”

 

She thought about it for a moment then said, “Zombie.” He sat up on his knees and gave her a questioning look which she couldn’t see.

 

“Zombie?” 

 

“Yeah, a zombie would hurt me, right? And if one did, you would save me wouldn’t you? This is sort of the same idea. If I say zombie, you’ll know to save me. Does that make sense?” she asked.

 

“It makes perfect sense.” He rubbed his palms over her lace covered breasts and moved in circles against her nipples until they were hard, then he pulled down the cups, exposing them to the air. He wrapped his hands around the base of each and squeezed while running the flat of his tongue over her erect buds. “Aaaahhh god, mmmmmm.” Yvonne moaned.

 

“Do you like that baby girl? Does that make you wet?”

 

“Oh fuck yes,” she said loudly. He released her breasts and kissed them gently, then moved his tongue up her chest, to her lips. He dominated her mouth with his tongue and began to thrust his still confined erection against her core, grinding against her as he moved. “Are you a good girl?” he asked, huskily into her ear. She gushed at the sound of his voice, and couldn’t answer him. He took her face in his hand,” I asked you a question sweetheart. Are you a good girl? Are you gonna be a good girl for daddy?” Her brain went numb when she heard him say that.

 

“Yes daddy. I’ll be a good girl for you.” He sat up on his knees and reached around for the clamps. He rubbed, pinched, and pulled her nipples to prepare them. “Daddy loves you baby girl,” he said solemnly and attached them one at a time. She gasped and moaned loudly when she felt the pressure. He gently pulled on the chain connecting them. 

 

“Tell daddy how good that feels baby girl.”

 

“So fucking good. Fucking amazing.” He was so hard and it hurt, he rubbed himself through his pants to help relieve some of the pressure, but it didn’t help.

 

“Just relax baby, I’m gonna take such good care of you.” He kissed and licked his way down her stomach, pulling on the chain as he went. He slid her thong off quickly and spread her thighs to get a better look. “Your pussy is so beautiful,” he said and kissed her above her clit. He could smell her and see the wetness running down to her ass cheeks. He ran his finger across the skin of her inner thigh. She was writhing and moaning and begging for his tongue. He stopped what he was doing and said, “Good girls don’t beg. Bad girls beg. When I want a bad girl, I’ll tell you. Good girls take what they’re given and get rewarded. Do you want to be rewarded?”

 

“Yes daddy please. I’ll be good.”

 

He pulled the chain to the nipple clamps, “I’ll make sure daddy’s baby girl gets everything she wants and deserves. You just have to be a good, patient little girl.” He slapped her pussy with the palm of his hand, then licked her from bottom to top with the flat of his tongue. He massaged her wet opening with his finger and she moaned and cursed under her breath as he pulled and nibbled on her clit and fucked her with his fingers. He pulled the chain in rhythm with his movements. His dick hurt so fucking bad, but he wouldn’t let go of her to touch himself. He was gonna cum in his pants if she didn’t cum soon. Her hips were bucking so hard, he had difficulty keeping his mouth in the right spot. Luckily, he could feel her getting wetter and wetter. She clamped down on his fingers like a vice when she came. He had heard that sometimes women could ejaculate like a man, but he had never experienced it until now. When she screamed his name, her juices squirted all over his face. That didn’t deter him from fucking and licking her through her orgasm. He was a greedy son of a bitch now and took every drop of her on his tongue.

 

He stood from the bed and quickly shed his pants and boxers. He climbed between her still shaking legs and carefully removed the nipple clamps and handcuffs. He gently kissed her nipples and wrists and hovered over her. “Yvonne, sweetheart. Are you okay?” She looked at him with misty eyes.

 

“Yes,” she said with barely a sound. “Was I a good girl? Do I get my reward?” He placed his forehead on hers.

 

“You were so good darlin’. So good, so sweet, and so perfect.” He sweetly moved his lips against hers and worked his way across her jaw, down her throat to her shoulder where he slowly sucked a mark onto her skin. He lifted his face and cradled hers in his palm. “I love you wife, forever. I can’t, I won’t live without you.” He held his erection in his hand and pumped himself a couple of times before lining up with her still wet entrance. “What do you want as your reward sweetheart?”

 

She put one hand on his chest and the other in his hair. “I want my husband to make love to me.”

 

“Yes ma’am,” he said and slowly pushed himself inside her. He growled between clenched teeth as he felt her tight heat envelope him. It had only been two days since they had last been together, but he had missed her, and he was pretty sure it was a psychological thing, but this felt better that it ever had. Maybe because of what they had just done, maybe because she was his wife now, he didn’t know, but she felt hotter, wetter and tighter. He wanted it to be like this with her for the rest of their lives. She was louder, making the same noises that she always did for him, but the pitch and tone were higher. He pumped in and out of her slowly at first, allowing both of them time for adjustment but he was running out of time. She was running her hand over his body, his shoulders, arms, and back. Her nails were digging into him as he began thrusting faster and harder. Their breaths were staggering and he could feel the heat in his belly, his balls tightening. “I’m gonna cum baby. I can’t wait.” She put her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to him. Her mouth took his and as she swirled her tongue with his, he came, tightening his grip on her hips enough to bruise her. He laid his forehead on her shoulder while his body shuttered through his release. “O god Yvonne! Aaaahh fuck!” He continued to hold her tightly after he came down. “I fucking love you so much! You are my everything.”

 

“I love you so fucking much Daryl. You are my life.” He pulled out of her and went into the bathroom to clean up, leaving her breathless on the bed. He returned with a washcloth and a small bottle of lotion, which he used to sooth the burn on her wrists and nipples. After he used the washcloth to clean her, he turned off the lights and crawled into bed behind her enveloping her in his arms. He buried his face in her neck and son fell asleep with his wife.

 

The End


End file.
